


Whiskey & Scotch

by veritasLItg



Series: Under the Influence [1]
Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Drama, Eventual Romance, F/M, Love Island: The Game Season 2, Slow Burn, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:27:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 45
Words: 228,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24148177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/veritasLItg/pseuds/veritasLItg
Summary: Going on a reality TV show wasn’t how Josie expected to spend her summer – she wasn’t looking for fame, and certainly didn’t expect to find love. But now that she’s on Love Island, surrounded by hot single men, she figures she may as well enjoy herself.But what happens when things don’t go as expected, and events start spiralling out of her control? Will her mistakes catch up to her, or will she make it through unscathed?And will she end up finding love, or only heartbreak?
Relationships: Bobby McKenzie/Main Character (Love Island), Henrik/Main Character (Love Island), Lucas Koh/Main Character (Love Island)
Series: Under the Influence [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2187621
Comments: 1206
Kudos: 403





	1. First Choice

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read my work! Just a couple quick notes:  
> First, this fic will (mostly) follow the canon timeline, but with several twists and turns along the way to create a brand new story. I’ve tried not to rely too heavily on canon dialogue, either, to keep things fresh and interesting.  
> Second, I watch the show, so I decided to lean a bit more heavily on some aspects of the show than what is portrayed in the game, and I like to throw a few show-related easter eggs in here and there.  
> Finally, I'm not from the UK, so while I’m trying to keep the slang as British as possible, it’s not natural to me and errors are to be expected.
> 
> Special thanks to sp3194 for beta reading and putting up with me!

_Okay, this is it. This is happening. Deep breaths._ I tried to calm myself as I grabbed the door handle, ready for the signal that the camera crews were ready to film my arrival. The signal came, and I took one final breath before pulling the handle and exiting the vehicle, trying to look as effortlessly sexy as possible. I must have somehow pulled it off on the first take, because I got the thumbs up from one of the crew members.

Love Island 2019. Fifty thousand applicants each year, and somehow I was one of the lucky ones chosen. And not only that, but I was picked to be one of the original five girls, the ones who would have the best chance at making an impression and ultimately winning – assuming we could form a connection strong enough to win over the hearts of the viewers.

The irony was, I never sought to be here. I hadn’t even watched the show until I was halfway through the interview process and figured I should probably get an idea of what I was getting into. If I had known earlier, I probably would have protested harder when my friends decided we should all apply. They said we probably wouldn’t be picked, that it was all just for fun.

But I did get picked. And now I’m here. I figured I may as well make the most of it and enjoy myself. 

I gave my head a slight toss as I turned to watch the arrival of another Jeep identical to the one I had just stepped out of. The camera crew moved to the new vehicle to repeat the process, and I watched as a tall, dark-skinned woman with long braided hair and a bold bikini emerged from the vehicle, stumbling slightly as her foot met the pavement.

“CUT!” One of the producers yelled. “I’m gonna need you to try that again, hun,” she said.

They filmed her exiting the vehicle a second time, this time without incident. She squealed as she ran to meet me and I gave her a warm embrace.

“Hi, I’m Hope!” She stepped back and gave me the once-over. “And I absolutely _love_ your outfit. You’re rocking it, girl!”

I was wearing a strappy green bikini that perfectly set off my red hair and green eyes. I had chosen it knowing it would make a perfect first impression, setting off all my best features and enhancing the curves of my figure, without being too revealing – just enough for the sexy but mysterious look I was going for.

“Thanks! It’s so nice to meet you, I’m Josie. Oh my god, are you as nervous as I am?”

“A little bit, but mostly I’m excited. So excited I almost fell flat on my face coming out of the car!” She laughed.

_That would have been hilarious._

“That would have been awful! But I’m not gonna lie, I wouldn’t be too upset if I end up flat on my back at some point in here, if you know what I mean,” I responded with a smirk.

She giggled. “Come on, let’s go inside and explore – I think you and I are both interested in checking out the bedroom.”

We entered the villa and immediately began to explore the large, beautiful place that would be our home for the next month. “Wow!” I exclaimed. “This place is incredible!”

“I can’t believe I’m actually on Love Island! It’s so surreal being here, I feel like I need to pinch myself – oh, here’s the bedroom!”

The bedroom was huge, and brightly decorated with the signature Love Island blue, yellow, and pink hues. Cheeky sayings from previous seasons of the show covered the walls and some of the furnishings. I giggled at the large “do bits society” plastered on one of the walls. 

I flopped onto the closest bed. “Yaasssss, this is comfy.”

“Isn’t is weird that we’re going to be sharing beds tonight with guys we’ve just met?” Hope asked, sitting next to me. 

“Kind of,” I replied. “I’m looking forward to it, actually.”

_Sharing a bed with a hot guy? Yes, please._

“I hope I get with someone I like right away. Finding a connection early on is so important if you don’t want to get dumped early. And I’m here to find something long-term, so it would be awful if I got dumped before I got the chance. I’m too busy in the real world to go on many dates, so I’m hoping this is my chance at finding love.”

I was about to reply when I heard the sound of heels clicking on the floor, and the door burst open.

“Hey girls!” A pale, thin, tattooed woman with platinum blonde hair partially dyed pink and dressed in a strappy purple bikini walked through the doorway confidently.

“My, my, don’t you both look like strong competition. My name’s Lottie.” She came over and gave each of us a hug as we introduced ourselves.

“I love your makeup,” Hope said. “I wish I could go all out like that, but I need to keep it more low-key for work.”

“I’m a makeup artist,” Lottie replied, “I like to go all out to show off my skill. What about you, Josie?”

“I’m an architect. So I definitely get what Hope is saying about keeping it business-appropriate, although I do like to go all out when I have a chance. I’d love to get some pointers from you while we’re here.”

“Hello? Is anyone else here?” A timid, sweet voice called from the hallway.

“In here!” Hope yelled. A red-headed girl appeared in the doorway and gave us a relieved look.

“Hi! I’m so glad I’m not the first one here. I’m Hannah!”

_Oh wow, she looks kinda like… a 15-year-old version of me. Yikes._

Hannah walked in and gave us delicate hugs.

“Did I miss any good chat?”

“We’re just getting to know each other, but let’s talk about the boys!” Hope responded. “I don’t know about you guys, but it feels like I’ve been single forever. I’m so ready for a summer surrounded by hot guys.”

“Me too,” I said. “I’ve had a hard time getting serious with anyone, so it would be nice to find someone here. Although to be completely honest, I’m not expecting to actually find love on a reality show.”

“Books always make it seem like the right guy is just going to appear if you wait for him,” Hannah said. “But I guess mine never got the message.”

“So you came on Love Island to find your Prince Charming?” I asked, and she nodded, not noticing my slightly sarcastic tone.

_How on earth did this girl sneak through the audition process? She seems sweet and all, but she’s a bit naïve and fanciful…_

“We’re all here because we’re single,” Lottie said. “We should help each other find the right guy. I’m all about putting the girls first, and I feel like we could make a great team. I don’t want to end up fighting with you guys over a man.”

I raised my eyebrows slightly. “What if two of us both fancy the same guy? If we’re all here to find love, then I don’t foresee any of us being willing to step aside to let another girl walk away with the guy we want. I’d love for us to have each other’s backs, but at the end of the day this is Love Island, not Friendship Island.”

Lottie looked a bit miffed, but her response was interrupted but another arrival.

“Hello ladies, I’m Marisol!”

The girl who walked in was short and tanned with ombre brown hair, wearing glasses and a classic black wrap-style bikini. She gracefully glided in and air-kissed everyone on both cheeks.

“That’s such a pretty name,” Hope said.

“Thank you! I see you’ve all met already. I think I’m the last one to arrive.”

Hope took the lead in giving out introductions.

“We were just saying it’s important that the girls support each other,” Lottie said. “Although that will be harder when the boys arrive.”

Marisol looked thoughtful. “I respect that we should be friends, but I go after what I want. If I see someone I like…”

“That’s what I was saying,” I said, glad that someone else was on the same page as me. “I’m not here to make enemies, but I also don’t want to miss out on a chance at something special because I didn’t crack on with someone.”

“I wish I had your confidence,” Hannah said. “I can be such a coward when it comes to boys, I never know how to go for what I want.”

Hope smiled at her. “You’ve got to be brave if you’re going to find love. Anyway, why are we spending all our time hanging out in the bedroom? Let’s go outside and see if we can find something to drink!”

The rest of the girls agreed, and I followed them through the door that opened from the bedroom into the garden, down a path and to the kitchen area. Hope found a bottle of champagne and made quick work of popping the cork and pouring it into the glasses that were sitting on the counter.

“What shall we toast to?” She asked.

“To finding love!” Hannah cried.

“To making friends!” responded Lottie.

“To hot boys, and a summer we’ll never forget!” I chimed in.

The girls all laughed and raised their glasses in a toast. “Cheers!”

_DING!_

I squealed and looked down at my phone. “Guys, I got a text! Yes, I’ve been waiting so long to say that!”

“What does it say?”

I read: “Girls, welcome to Love Island! Please line up on the lawn and get ready to meet the boys. They will come in one at a time and each choose a girl to couple up with. To make their decision easier, please step forward for each boy that you fancy. #picknmix #thefunstartsnow”

We found heart-shaped markers set up a few feet apart on the lawn for us to stand on, and we took our places – Hannah at one end, then Lottie, Marisol, Hope, and myself at the other end.

I found myself holding my breath as we waited for the boys to come out. Finally, a thick-chested blond jogged out of the villa.

“Alright, ladies?” He asked, grinning.

I smiled. “Alright, yourself.” He seemed pleased with my response.

_He’s not entirely my type, but who knows? Judging by looks alone always seems to get me into trouble._

He introduced himself as Gary, and said he was a 23-year-old crane operator from Chatham. When he asked us to step forward, I hesitated, then boldly took a step.

_What the heck, why not? He seems like a decent bloke, and I’d hate to be the one that doesn’t step forward for anyone and ends up being the last one picked._

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Marisol also take a step. I caught her eye and smiled. I didn’t mind a little competition.

Gary grinned and rubbed his hands together. “This is a great start! I’d like to couple up with…” he looked back and forth between Marisol and myself, then pointed in my direction. “You! Sorry, I don’t know your name,” he said, as he started walking towards me.

I stepped forward to meet him and gave him a welcoming hug. “My name is Josie,” I replied. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Well, Josie, I don’t normally meet people this way, but this is fun. Are you happy I picked you?”

“Of course! It’s nice to be the first one picked, to be honest.”

We returned to my marker just as another boy strolled out of the villa. He was deeply tanned with dark curly hair and a smoldering gaze.

_Is it too soon to step forward for another guy? Shit, maybe I should have waited. This guy is fire._

“Hi, I’m Rocco. Wow, you’re all beautiful. I can’t wait to like, make a deep connection with one of you.”

_On second thought…_

When he asked the girls to step forward, only Lottie did, and he seemed happy enough to couple up with her.

I took the opportunity to make brief conversation with Gary, letting him know each girl’s name and a bit of what I had already learned about them. He made a joke about Hannah looking like she was still in high school. “Did she walk into the wrong villa by accident?”

I snorted and punched his arm. “Be nice!”

“I will, I will!” He laughed.

The next boy to come out was ebony-skinned with cornrows and washboard abs. He said he was a golfer and made a joke about grand slams that didn’t get much of a response from the girls. He looked grateful when Marisol stepped forward, and walked over to stand next to her.

“Ibrahim seemed like a good guy when I was chatting with him earlier,” Gary said to me in a hushed tone. “Do you think he and Marisol will get on?”

“It’s hard to say,” I responded. “It’s early days, who knows what’s going to happen.”

“Well, three down, two to go. Hope and Hannah haven’t even stepped forward yet. Ah, here’s their chance.”

Another man was making his way across the lawn, and I sucked in my breath.

_He’s gorgeous…_

He was tall, dark, and handsome, with a strong gaze and a gentle smile. He introduced himself as Noah but didn’t say much else before inviting the girls to step forward.

“Sorry, babe,” I said quietly to Gary before taking a step forward. He didn’t look too thrilled, but I felt like I needed to take my chances. To my left, Hope had finally stepped forward and I cursed quietly under my breath.

“Wow, okay,” Noah said, a surprised look on his face. “I guess I’ll just ask your names, and why you each stepped forward.”

“My name is Hope,” she started, “and I just think you’re the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever laid eyes on. I’m melting under your gaze.”

_Is she serious? Hopefully he doesn’t like girls that are too full-on like that._

I smiled sweetly. “I just figured I’d shoot my shot. You look like my type and I’d love to get to know you better. Oh, and my name is Josie.”

Noah smiled warmly and held my gaze for a few seconds before taking a deep breath. “Well, I’d like to get to know every one of you, but I’m going to respect the fact that Josie is already coupled up… so I choose Hope.”

Hope gave an excited squeal and practically ran to meet Noah as he walked towards her. I gave him a rueful smile as I turned back to stand next to Gary.

“Tough luck for you,” he said.

“No hard feelings?”

“Nah, it’s part of the game, you’ve gotta do what’s right for you. Besides, you stepped forward for me, too, so I’ve got that going for me.”

Finally the last boy bounded out of the villa. He looked mixed race, with freckled light brown skin, dreads, and light eyes that had a mischievous glint to them. His body was toned, though it lacked the muscular definition of the guys that had come before him.

“They saved the best for last,” he grinned. “I’m like the sweet dessert at the end of a main course of beefcake!”

I couldn’t stop myself from smirking, although a glance down the line at the other girls showed that they weren’t quite sure how to react. Hannah looked confused, if not a little scared.

“Well, I got one girl smiling at least,” he said, gesturing towards me. “What’s your name, lass?”

“Josie,” I said, and I felt Gary’s arm tighten around my waist.

“And I’m Bobby. Okay, what about you?” He pointed at Hope, then continued down the line until all the girls had introduced themselves.

“I guess it’s time for me to pick someone, aye? Well, a wise person once said, ‘if you’re going to go on Love Island you’ve got to be bold to get what you want.’”

“Who said that, your mum?” Gary joked.

“No, it’s a Chinese proverb,” Bobby deadpanned. “Anyway, I figure this might be my only shot at coupling up with the most beautiful girl here, so although I normally wouldn’t want to tread on anyone’s toes, I’m not going to waste this opportunity to get what I want. And I want… to couple up with the lovely Josie.”

 _Bold and confident. I like that._

“Bloody hell,” Gary swore under his breath.

I gave him a sympathetic look and lightly squeezed his arm. “Tough luck, hun.” I turned to meet Bobby and give him a hug, and he gave me a quick peck on the cheek.

“So now what?” Gary asked. He didn’t have to wait long before his phone dinged with a text. “Gary, Bobby has coupled up with your partner, which means you must couple up with the remaining islander. #lonelyhearts”

He walked over to Hannah. “Guess that’s you and me, then.”

She gave him a shy smile and threw her arms around his waist.

“So, are we all good then?” Gary said to the group. “Is that it?”

“Um, I think so,” Hannah said. “Isn’t there usually, like, another person?”

“I wouldn’t worry about it, mate.” Gary said.

“Mate?” she asked. “You’re calling me ‘mate’?”

“Er, sorry. Anyway, I don’t reckon there’s going to be anyone else for now. We’re all here in our couples now, but we still haven’t really met each other yet. “

“Exactly,” said Marisol. “Let’s crack on.” 


	2. Truth or Dare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Truth or Dare gets extra spicy... :)

The newly formed couples began to disperse around the lawn to chat amongst themselves. Bobby turned to look at me.

“Beanbags?”

“Sure,” I smiled, and he put his hand on the small of my back as he led me to the poolside where the brightly coloured beanbags were. I sat down on the one he indicated, then watched him as he stacked a couple beanbags for himself and tried to make himself comfortable. I took the opportunity to get a closer look at him. He had put on a pair of reflective sunglasses so I couldn’t make out the colour of his eyes, but the rest of his features were well-defined. Freckles covered his nose and cheeks and continued onto his chest and broad shoulders.

_Huh. He’s not the type that catches the eye right away – although that could’ve also been the cheesy joke he started off with and the fact that he came out after four other ridiculously hot guys – but he’s low-key kinda gorgeous. Not obviously ripped like the other guys, but there’s definitely something there._

Bobby finally found a comfortable position on his beanbag and caught me examining him.

“If you take a picture, it’ll last longer.”

I blushed, and shifted on my beanbag. “So… why’d you pick me?”

“Um, did you look in the mirror today? Because you’re absolutely gorgeous, and that smirk I caught earlier shows me you’ve got a sense of humour. And it’s like I said in my speech… if I didn’t pick you today, who knows if I’d get another chance? The competition in here is going to be fierce… for both of us. I hope you don’t mind that I picked you… you caught my eye right away, and I didn’t want to risk you not stepping forward so I figured I’d just go with my gut.”

“Well to be completely honest, I probably wouldn’t have stepped forward… but I don’t mind at all that you picked me. It’s part of the game, right? I’m willing to get to know you, but I also want to get to know everyone else.”

He nodded and leaned back. “That’s fair. Alright, you want to get to know me? Ask me anything!”

I laughed. “Okay, well I can tell by your accent that you’re Scottish. What part are you from, and what do you do?”

“Aye, I’m from Glasgow, and I’m a hospital caterer. At least until I can afford to open my own bakery. Baking is my real passion.”

“Really? I’d love to know how you got into baking. I haven’t met very many single guys who know their way around a kitchen, let alone being passionate about it.”

“Great! Well, when I was young, I found this old cooking book back in the library that was filled with these bizarre Victorian recipes. I’m talking blocks of meat, towers of coloured jelly, cakes with all sorts of surprises baked into them. It was crazy. All because the richer Victorians liked to put on a show with their food at fancy dinners. I borrowed the book and my mum helped me make some of them. They were awful to eat,” he shook his head and made a disgusted face, “but it showed me that food didn’t have to be dull, or just functional. As I got older I became obsessed with tracking more of these recipes down, and I would try to figure out a way to make them taste good. So I like to put a little flair into everything I bake - why settle for boring? It’s a strange way to get into baking. I still bake surprises into things. All edible, though.”

“That’s so neat! I love that. I hope you get a chance to bake in the villa, I’d love to try something. If you want to, that is.”

He grinned. “I’d be happy to make you something. Alright, ask me something else, and then it’s my turn to put you in the hot seat.”

“Okay, what’s your type?”

“She’s sitting right in front of me…” he said with a smirk.

“Smooth one!” I said, and stretched out my leg to give him a light kick in the shin.

“I’m not sure I have a specific type, really. But if I had to generalize, I’d say I tend to go for girls that are a little out there and don’t mind being the centre of attention. I mean, they’ve got to put up with me, right? I also like girls that don’t go too over-the-top with their look. I find it really attractive when a girl doesn’t spend ages doing herself up or topping up her tan. I don’t want the competition when we stand next to each other, you know.” He winked, and I laughed. He turned serious and said, “And someone that’s loyal is an absolute must. I’ve been burned in the past.”

 _Interesting._ I nodded. “Yeah, that’s a big one. I think a lot of us have been there.”

“Okay, your turn!” He brightened. “First, I’ve gotta ask… I can’t place your accent! Where are you from?”

“I get that a lot,” I said. “It’s a bit of a mix. My dad is Canadian and my mum is Irish. I grew up in Canada, but they divorced and my mum brought me back to Ireland with her. We lived there for awhile before moving to London.”

Bobby hesitated before speaking softly. “So not only did you have to deal with a divorce as a kid… but you also had to move an ocean away from your pa?”

“Yeah, it was definitely tough. It’s not a childhood I would wish on anyone, but I would get to spend some of my holidays with my dad, and I still try to go back every year. Christmas in Canada is the best. Okay, ask me something else.”

“Same things you asked me, what you do for a living, and what’s your type? Except for your type you have to say you like guys that bake.” He smirked.

“Oh you’d love that, wouldn’t you!”

“Guilty as charged.”

“Well I don’t have a cute backstory to go with my career choice, but I’m an architect. I’m pretty much just starting out so I haven’t gotten to do many interesting projects yet, but I think every architect dreams of being given creative license to build something unique.”

“Like this villa?”

“Yeah, I actually just came here for villa-designing inspiration,” I joked.

“When you and I win Love Island together, I’ll steal the $50k and then use it to hire you to build me a villa just like this.”

I snorted and burst into a fit of laughter.

“Ooh, that was cute. Do that little snort thing again.”

“Bobby, stop! You’re too much,” I said, trying to control myself.

“BOBBY! JOSIE!” Someone yelled. I looked over to see the rest of the islanders hanging about in the kitchen area. Lottie beckoned us over.

“I guess it’s time to mingle with everyone else.” I stood up.

“But you didn’t tell me your type yet!” Bobby said in consternation. I held out my hand to help him up from the beanbags.

“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.” I gave him a wink.

“No fair!”

*********

Bobby and I joined the group in the kitchen, where Gary had just popped the cork off a bottle of champagne.

“A bit fancier than I’m used to, but I can make it work,” he said. As he poured, Noah started handing out the glasses to each islander.

“Cheers, everyone. Welcome to Love Island!” The glasses clinked as everyone joined in the cheer.

“Mm, delicious,” said Hope. “So classy.”

“I’m never going to get why people like this stuff. Just give me a pint any day,” Gary said, looking into his glass as if it had offended him.

“I’m with you there, Gary,” I said. “I’ll drink it, but I don’t enjoy it. Give me a beer, cider, or whiskey any day over wine or champagne.”

“My kinda girl!” he smiled appreciatively, and I winked at him in response.

“What a revelation,” Marisol said with an amused look. “I can’t wait to see what else we’re going to find out about each other.”

_DING!_

“It’s me!” Gary said, looking down at his phone. “I got a text! Islanders, it’s time to find out who’s hot under the collar, and who’s playing it cool. Head over to the firepit to play a game of Truth or Dare.”

“Yes, I love this game! Let’s go!” Hope grabbed Noah’s hand as she led us over to the firepit, where there were stacks of prepared questions and dares. “Oh my gosh, cards and everything.”

“Yes! This is some serious Truth or Dare business!” Bobby said as he sat on the bench.

I smiled and sat beside him, happy to see Gary take a seat on the other side of me.

_I could do worse than having these two guys vying for my attention. Though I’m still intrigued by Noah… I wonder if he likes how forward Hope is being, or if he’d be more interested in someone a bit more chill?_

Hope grabbed the top card from the ‘Dare’ pile. “I’ll go first… and I have to give another islander a foot massage.”

Bobby immediately stuck his foot out. “Pick me!”

“Ugh, gross!” Hannah said. “I don’t think I could touch someone’s feet on the first day I meet them. I’m definitely picking truth when it’s my turn.”

“What, and miss out on all the fun? ‘Suck someone’s toes’ might be in there,” Bobby laughed as Hannah‘s face screwed up in disgust.

“Thanks for volunteering Bobby, but I choose… Noah!”

Hope took one of Noah’s feet in her hands and started massaging it. He seemed a bit tense at first, but relaxed after a few seconds and soon sighed. “That’s pretty good, actually,” he said.

“Well this is a weird start to my holiday,” Gary said.

Hope finished the massage and returned to her seat. “Okay who’s next… Josie?”

“Alright, give me a dare,” I said. “I’m up for anything.”

Hope read the card. “’Take a selfie, and text it to the hottest Islander.’”

“That’s it?” I asked. “But Bobby said I’d get to suck someone’s toes!" I pouted in pretend disappointment. I could feel Bobby shaking in silent laughter beside me. “I hope we’re saving that card for Bobby since he seems so interested.”

I held up my phone and posed, taking a few shots. Selecting the best one, I considered my options briefly before sending the message.

A phone dinged, and all the guys looked down to see if it was their own. Noah smiled at his and looked up at me. “Nice one, Josie.”

Beside him, Hope didn’t look very impressed. “Moving on, then! Who are you picking to go next?”

I closed my eyes and randomly pointed across the firepit. I opened my eyes. “I choose Rocco!”

Rocco chose Truth. He had to tell the group his most embarrassing sexual experience. He tried to claim that none of his experiences had been embarrassing, before launching into a story about someone banging on his food truck door while he was in there with a girl. The boys made some jokes while the girls all screwed their faces in disgust.

_Remind me never to eat anything that’s come out of that food truck…_

“Marisol next,” Rocco said.

“Okay, I choose Truth.”

Hope read, “‘Have you ever kissed someone of the same gender on a night out?’”

“Yes, of course. I’m bisexual, but I actually get more nervous talking to girls than guys, for some reason. Beautiful girls make me a bit tongue-tied. But I could see myself in a long-term relationship with another woman. I just see the person, not their gender. Alright, I think Bobby should go next.”

“Dare, please!”

Hope picked up the card. “Ooh, it’s a good one. But sorry, it’s not toe-sucking. ‘Kiss the Islander you fancy the most.’”

My pulse quickened as I realized he was probably going to pick me. _My first kiss on the island! How do I play this one, soft and quick or do I really make a statement?_

Bobby grinned. “The next best thing to toe-sucking! Anyway, I’ve only just met you all, but I don’t even have to think about this one.”

He turned to me and leaned in. His lips met mine softly, and I responded in kind. As I felt him start to pull away I reached up and took his face in my hands, pulling him closer towards me and deepening the kiss as the others cheered and hollered. I felt his lips smile against mine and one of his hands found my hip while the other reached up to the back of my neck, fingers tangling in my hair. I held him there for a few seconds, then abruptly pulled away and released him.

“Wow! That was amazing,” he said, his cheeks flushed and his eyes sparkling. “I love that you went there.”

I gave him a mischievous smile. “I had to give you something to think about.”

He chose Gary to go next, and his dare was to give any islander a lap dance.

“Whoa, getting right in there.” He stood and turned to me. “You want this?” he motioned towards his body.

I nodding, biting my lip and holding his gaze as he straddled my legs and tried rather unsuccessfully to move seductively. He blushed and broke eye contact, continuing his dance for a few more seconds before straightening and stepping away.

“Alright, no more dancing for me. Lottie, you’re up.”

I leaned over to whisper in his ear. “That was nice…”

His already pink cheeks turned a deeper shade of red, but the corners of his mouth turned up. He leaned over. “I know you’re lying, but thanks.”

The game continued as the other islanders took their turns, until it was back to my turn.

“Do you want truth this time, since you did a dare last round?”

“Nah, I’ll stick with dare.”

“’Kiss any islander other than your partner for at least 10 seconds.’”

_Oh, this is a good one. But do I go with Gary or Noah?_

I looked around the firepit, checking out the reactions of each of the guys as my eyes landed on them – and the girls as they saw me looking at their men.

I got up from my seat and walked around the circle, making a show of considering each boy that I walked past. Finally I stopped in front of Marisol, and with a cheeky smirk I held out my hand, beckoning for her to stand up.

She grinned as she looked up at me and stood up. She put her hands on my shoulders and met my lips as the others started counting down from 10. I pressed my body against hers and let my hands run down her sides, lowering them until they were on her outer thighs, then ran my tongue across her lips. She parted her lips and our tongues met, gently exploring each other. As the others finished their countdown I pressed my mouth harder against hers and moved my hands back up towards her ribs, holding her tightly against me for a brief moment, before finally breaking the kiss and releasing her.

“That was hot,” she said breathlessly, smiling at me as she sat back down.

_Bet nobody expected that!_

I turned to go back to my seat. Gary had a dazed look on his face and swallowed as I sat down, but Bobby merely looked amused, meeting my gaze and lifting his eyebrows slightly.

“I choose Gary to go next.”

He sat up and shook himself out of his stupor. “Truth…”

Hope cleared her throat and read the card. “’Have you ever had a threesome?’”

He coughed and turned red. “Yes… yes, once.” He looked around the firepit. “I can’t be the only one, right?”

Nobody else said anything.

“I have,” I spoke up. The others turned to look at me, surprise etched on most of their faces. “What, are you guys really surprised after what you just saw?”

“Wow, we really are learning a lot about each other,” Marisol said. “Are there any more cards left?”

“There are a couple more truths,” Hope said, “but I’m not sure they’ll top what we’ve just learned.”

“Shall we end it there, then?” Lottie asked. “I wouldn’t mind getting a chance to have a girls chat.”

There were nods and murmurs of assent. The boys took their cue to leave and headed into the villa.


	3. The Eleventh Islander

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing too exciting in this chapter, just following the story with a few minor bits added in. The interesting stuff is coming soon!

“Wow, you really stole the show there, Josie.”

I smiled innocently. “What can I say? I was just doing what the cards told me to do.”

Lottie laughed. “I think you might have gone a little bit beyond that, but I admire you for it. And I can respect that you chose not to kiss another girls’ partner when you had the chance. Right, ladies?”

“I’m not sure what’s worse,” Hannah said, “kissing one of our boys, or putting  _ that _ image into their heads?”

“We’re just going to have to take the power back into our own hands,” Hope said. ”I think I’m going to need to step up my game tonight. Do us a favour and wear something shabby, okay Josie?”

“I’ll try, but I’m not sure ‘shabby’ was the look I was going for when I packed my outfits.” 

_ Nope, definitely did not bring anything shabby. Even my undergarments are nice. _

“Hold up,” Marisol said. “Am I the only one who’s dying to know about this threesome Josie had?”

The girls turned to me in eager curiosity.

“Who was it with?”

“Was it hot? What’s it like?”

“Wait, who said there was only one?” I laughed. The girls stared at me in shock. “Okay, it did only happen the one time. It was in uni, I had hooked up with this guy a few times before and walked in on him with my flatmate. They were on my bed, so I figured I may as well join them. And it was more awkward than hot, I’d say. And now the whole UK knows, so that’s even more awkward.”

“Speaking of the whole UK knowing… what do you guys think about having sex in the villa?” Hope asked. “I mean, there are cameras everywhere in here, it would probably be tough to find a private spot.”

“Oh, I dunno,” Lottie said. “If it’s under the covers it’s not like anyone will be able to see anything, and they can’t exactly put anything explicit on TV. I’d be open to it with the right person and at the right moment.”

Hope nodded. “And really, what’s the difference between doing it here and waiting until you get out? If you’re in a couple with someone you like, and you get dumped, everyone knows you’re going to do it as soon as you’re out of here anyway, so why delay it? Just go for it, I say.”

“Well everyone already knows about my sexual exploits now, so I guess there’s no reason for me not to do it if the moment is right. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one that’s open to doing bits in the villa.”

“What about you, Han?” Lottie turned to Hannah, who was sitting quietly with a thoughtful expression on her face. 

“Oh! I guess so… I’m just feeling a little overwhelmed. I’m not sure Gary is right for me. I mean, he’s rugged and down-to-earth, which I like… but I’m not sure we’re into the same things, and he didn’t exactly have a choice in coupling up with me.”

“He seems like a bloke,” Lottie said. “He’d probably get you a pint, at least.”

“I would hope so, or a glass of wine, at least. But I can’t imagine dating a guy who didn’t treat me like a princess.”

_ A princess? What? This girl really isn’t steeped in reality… romance novels are nice and all, but she’s got to wake up from her fantasies. This is the real world. Poor Gary, I really don’t think they’ll get along. _

“What about the other guys?” I asked. “I noticed you didn’t step forward for anyone.”

“It’s just so hard to go off looks alone,” she responded. “How am I supposed to know what a guy is really like when all I can see are his abs?”

Lottie smiled wryly. “I always just go for looks. I like hot guys, and I don’t mind admitting it.”

“I like smart guys,” Marisol said. “As a law student, I want someone who’s on my wavelength, not someone I’m constantly talking down to. Intelligence is sexy.

“I can see that,” said Lottie. “I once dated a guy who was so thick in the head that I just couldn’t do it anymore. I even had to break up with him twice because he wasn’t listening the first time… he was so fit though, I almost took him back.”

_ DING! _

“Oh, that’s mine!” Marisol said. “Where are the boys?"

“Just read it, they’re still inside.”

“’Islanders, tonight there will be a welcome party. Please get ready to say hi to a very special guest! #drinksonus #droppingthebombshell”

“Amazing! A party!” Hope said. “But does that mean another girl is coming in?”

“It could be a guy,” I smiled, and the girls’ faces lit up. I stood. “Come on, let’s go find the boys and tell them, and then let’s get ready for this party.”

***************

For the party I chose to wear black distressed skinny jeans paired with a high-necked white sleeveless crop top and cropped leather biker jacket. I pulled my hair into a loose braid that draped over my shoulder.

_ Nice… sexy enough to make a statement, not so sexy that the girls will be annoyed. _

The girls walked out onto the lawn together, where the boys were already waiting.

“Here they are!” Gary said, giving me an appreciative once-over. “Some of these guys were getting impatient.”

“Let’s get this party started!” Hope said, making a beeline towards the counter in search of drinks.

We grabbed our drinks and chatted in a group, the conversation ranging from pickup lines to guys who couldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Eventually, Bobby pulled me aside.

“Hey, do you want to go for a quick chat? I figure with a new person coming in tonight we should see where we stand.”

“Sure.” I let him lead me to the swinging bench. I sat facing him with my feet tucked up under me.

He put his arm on the back of the bench, angling his body towards me and looking at me intently. “I just wanted to ask if it was okay that I kissed you for that dare.”

“Really? Bobby, I kissed you back. It was just a game, and we’re coupled up. It would have been sending mixed messages if you’d gone and kissed someone else almost right after picking me.”

“I just never really liked those games growing up. When we did Spin the Bottle I always hoped it wouldn’t land on me because it felt awkward kissing someone and not knowing if it was something they actually wanted. Being here kind of makes me feel like a teenager again.”

“You’ve got nothing to worry about. It was a nice kiss, and I enjoyed it.”

He grinned. “So, what are you thinking about you and me?”

“I’m enjoying getting to know you, but I’m not going to hide the fact that there are other people here I’m interested in. It’s early days, and I want to get to know everyone.”

“Right, that’s fair. For what it’s worth, I’m still happy I picked you. I think we’re clicking, you’re saying all the right stuff, you seem like my type on paper. But you’re right, it has only been a day. I can find it hard to build a connection with someone that’s more than a friendship, so I need to make sure I’m with the right person.”

There was a commotion over by the kitchen. I looked over to see a gorgeous olive-skinned woman with shiny black hair and wearing a daringly low-cut silver dress standing among the guys.

“It looks like the new islander is here… and it’s a girl! C’mon, let’s go over.”

When we got to the kitchen, the boys were surrounding the new girl while the girls were hanging back.

“Look at those boys, all swarming around her,” Lottie said. “You’d think they hadn’t already met five gorgeous women today.”

I craned my neck to catch a glimpse of her through the group of guys. “She’s gorgeous… I wouldn’t kick her out of bed."

Marisol gave me an amused look. “Nor would I, but if either of us wants her in our beds we’re going to have to fight off those five guys. C’mon, let’s go meet the competition.”

Marisol, Hope, and I walked over to meet the new girl while Lottie and Hannah hung back, whispering to each other.

“Here they are!” Bobby said. “Girls, this is Priya.”

“Were you lads trying to keep her all to yourselves?” Hope asked and gave Priya a hug. “How are you doing, babes? I’m Hope, it’s so good to meet you.”

“It’s good to meet you too! I’m glad you’re not judging me for crashing your party.” She turned to me.

“Hi, I’m Josie. You’re stunning, by the way. I don’t suppose you’re into girls at all?”

Priya laughed. “You’re so sweet! Unfortunately I’m not, but if anyone can persuade me to switch sides, it might be you.”

“So what’s your type?”

“I usually like cheeky and flirty guys… I love guys who are fun to be around, but I tend to get a bit scared when it gets more serious.”

_ Cheeky and flirty, eh? Bobby definitely fits the bill. Then again, so does Gary. _

“Everyone here seems to be fun in their own way,” Hope said. She indicated towards Lottie and Hannah. “Even those two. They’ll come over soon, I’m sure.”

“Oh, what’s going on there?” Priya looked disappointed.

“I think they might feel a bit threatened… the girls outnumber the guys now.”

“I get it. Not all the girls are happy I’m here.”

“They’re coming over now,” Bobby said. “OI! LOTTIE! HANNAH! Git yer arses over here!”

Lottie sauntered over with Hannah in tow. “Sorry we didn’t come over straight away. We had something important to discuss.” She air kissed Priya on both cheeks. “I’m Lottie. What did you say your name was, babe?”

“I’m Priya.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Priya. It must be really hard for you to come in when we’re all coupled up already.”

“Oh my gosh I love your Aussie accent,” Priya said. “It’s so… rural.”

_ Okay I like this girl. We’re definitely going to be friends. _

“So Priya,” Marisol spoke up. “Have any of these boys caught your eye already?”

“I would say Ibrahim is my type right away,” Priya said. “But Bobby and Noah are gorgeous, too. But I’m not trying to tread on anyone’s toes.”

“I don’t mind,” I said. “We’ve literally only known each other for a few hours anyway. Bobby and I already chatted, we both agreed we want to get to know everyone.”

“I agree,” Hope said. “I think it’s only fair you get a chance to chat to all the boys. Anyway, this is a party! Why has nobody gotten you a drink yet?”

Rocco swiftly grabbed a glass and filled it with champagne, then brought it over to Priya. She accepted it with a smile.

“Rocco, I think we need to have a word,” Lottie said, putting her hand on his arm. The rest of the islanders dispersed into small groups.

Bobby, Ibrahim, Priya and I huddled around the firepit. The night air was cool, and the others weren’t dressed for cooler weather. I saw Priya shiver as she crossed her arms for warmth.

“Here Priya, take my jacket,” I said, taking it off and handing it to her.

She smiled gratefully. “Won’t you get cold?”

“I have a teeny bit more fabric on me than you do, I think. And besides, I’ve got Bobby to keep me warm.”

Bobby seemed pleased as I shifted closer to him, and he put his arm around my shoulders.

“Aye, lassie,” he exaggerated his accent, “yer Bobby will keep ya warm all night.”

“You two are cute together,” Priya smiled.

The conversation flowed amongst us, eventually easing into the topic of Ibrahim’s love of comic books. Priya seemed genuinely interested as she engaged him in a discussion about one of his favourite characters, a hero named Violet Man.

Eventually the party wound down and the islanders started getting ready for bed. I changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and headed outside for some fresh air. A few of the others were still hanging out in the kitchen, but I chose to sit on one of the daybeds, pulling the blanket over me for warmth.

After a few minutes, Bobby came down and sat next to me.

“Hey,” he said. “I know we said we were going to get to know everyone else, but that doesn’t mean you have to ditch me tonight!”

I smiled. “Oh you want me in your bed, do you?”

“Who wouldn’t?”

“Cheeky!”

We sat in silence for a moment, and he shifted closer, putting his arm around me. I looked up him, studying his face, then let my eyes drop to his lips.

“Do I have something on my mouth?” he asked, the corner of his lips turning up.

I raised an eyebrow, and he grinned. He leaned into me and looped his arm gently around my waist as our lips met. He tasted of minty toothpaste, and I let his tongue brush against mine, holding the kiss for a few seconds, before I pulled away.

“That was nice,” he said.

“Only nice?”

“I was going for an understatement. Like, of the century. That was really nice.”

I laughed and punched him on the arm, then sat up. From the kitchen area, I heard the sound of a phone beeping.

“Guys, come here!” yelled Priya. “I got a text!”

We walked over and she began to read. “’Priya, tomorrow you will get to choose one of the boys to couple up with, leaving one of the girls single and vulnerable. “achallengerappears #girlcode”

The girls all looked at each other.

“Shit just got real, girls,” I said.


	4. Morning Chats

I woke up to the soft murmur of muffled voices and giggles. Poking my head out from under the duvet, I saw that all the beds were empty save the one on the far end. I could just make out two human-shaped lumps shifting under the covers.

_That’s Hope and Noah’s bed, right? Damn, she moves fast._

I quietly slipped out from my own bed and headed to the showers. When finished, I returned to the dressing room and found Priya sitting there applying her skincare. The room smelled sweet and citrusy.

She smiled when she saw me come in. “Good morning!” she said. “Care to join me for a chat on the terrace? I’ve been looking forward to morning chats with the girls, but the rest are downstairs.”

“Sure thing, babe.” I followed her out to the terrace, blinking my eyes at the sudden exposure to sunlight. We sat on the bench and I picked up a cushion, hugging it to my chest.

“Thanks again for lending me your jacket last night,” she said, sitting opposite me. “You’re one of my favourite girls here so far. I think we’re going to get along nicely.”

“But I thought you and Lottie hit it off so well,” I said, yawning. “Sorry, still half asleep.”

“Not so sleepy that you’ve lost your sense of humour, apparently! I’m sure she just needs time. Anyway, dish! You’re coupled up with Bobby, but is there anyone else you’ve got your eye on? I need to get the lay of the land.”

“Actually, yeah, I’m interested in Noah and Gary. Bobby has been really sweet so far, but we’ve both said we’re open to getting to know other people. I know that Gary’s interested in me, but I haven’t gotten much opportunity to talk to Noah yet, so I’m not sure what he’s thinking.”

“Good to know, I won’t pick them tonight if you’re interested in them.”

“That’s nice of you, but you need to do what’s right for you, Priya. You should pick based on who you think you have the best connection with, not based on my feelings.”

“And that’s exactly why you’re my favourite girl here. I don’t think any of the other girls would have said the same thing.”

“Maybe not, but I also don’t mind a little competition. If you steal my man, I’ll just steal him right back.” I smirked, and she laughed.

She stood. “Well I guess I need to start getting to know the boys. Wanna come be my good cop?”

“Can I be the bad cop instead? Let me just finish getting ready and I’ll be there.”

*******

When I went down to the lawn, Priya was sitting on the loungers by the pool with the boys. Lottie sat on the edge of the pool nearby, listening in. Bobby saw me approaching and waved me over to his lounger. Priya turned her head to look at me and smiled.

“Looking good, Josie,” she said.

I grinned and placed my hands on my hips, striking a pose and then doing my best catwalk strut as I joined the group, finally doing a slow twirl. “Like what you see, boys?”

“Shameless!” laughed Priya. Lottie just rolled her eyes, while Bobby raised his hand to give me a high five, then shifted over to make room for me to sit next to him.

“Looking spicier than sriracha,” he said appreciatively.

Lottie shifted, moving closer to us. “So Priya, how are you going to decide who to go for?”

“I feel like I can’t just pick based on who’s the fittest. It’s about feeling that connection with someone, right?”

“Absolutely,” Rocco said. “Do you believe in vibes?”

Lottie glared at him, but he didn’t notice.

“As in vibrators?” Priya asked, confused.

“Vibrations! Like, positive vibes!”

“Oh my gosh!” Priya laughed, and the rest of us joined in.

She quizzed the boys for a while, enjoying the attention she was receiving as they flirted with her, much to Lottie’s chagrin.

“Ibrahim,” Priya turned to look at the golfer. “Did I hear you were in a ‘Hot Men of Golf’ calendar?”

He reddened. “I-it was just ‘Men of Golf,’ and they didn’t even use a good picture. Oh, and by the way my friends call me Rahim.”

“Oh? Can I be your friend, Rahim?” Priya asked.

“Hell no. I mean—it’s okay to be friends. Or even to watch ‘Friends’—” He facepalmed. “I mean, I might like to be more than friends.”

Gary slapped him on the back. “We’ll work on your chat, buddy.”

“So what’s the deal with Hope and Noah? Do you think I have a chance of getting in between them?” Priya asked.

“Unlikely,” Rocco said. “They’re really going for that ‘power couple’ vibe.”

“I don’t know,” I said. “It seems a little early for all that. I still want to get to know him, and I think you should too if you want, Priya.”

“Oh yeah,” Lottie said. “Josie stepped forward for Noah yesterday at the coupling. You’re still interested, then?”

“Yeah, for sure. I want to talk to him, see if there might be something there. I think he’s attractive.”

Priya sat up straighter. “Wait, you stepped forward for him but he picked Hope? I didn’t know that.”

Bobby spoke up. “I talked to him, he said he picked Hope because she stepped forward too and Josie was already with Gary.”

_Bobby and Noah talked about me? Would Noah have picked me if Hope hadn’t stepped forward?_

“Didn’t stop you,” Gary butted in.

“He’s not the type to rock the boat, I guess. He didn’t seem certain that Hope was his type, but he was willing to try something new.”

“Would I be his type, though?” Priya asked.

Bobby shrugged. “Not sure what his type is, but you should definitely have a chat with him.”

“If he and Hope ever decide to show their faces,” I said. “They were still in bed last I saw them.”

“They’re coming out now,” Lottie said, nodding her head towards the villa. “What do you say we round the girls up and talk strategy, Josie?”

_Hm, if we get Hope to join us then that should give Priya a chance to get Noah by himself._

“Sure, let’s go.”

********

Hope and I went up to the roof terrace while Lottie went in search of Hannah and Marisol. I snuck a look over the ledge and spied Priya and Noah making their way to the swinging bench.

_My girl. Not wasting any time._

I sat down and clutched a cushion. “So how are you and Noah doing, then? You guys were still in bed when I got up.”

She reddened. “You were there? I didn’t realize anyone was still in there. I really like him though, he’s exactly my type.”

“His body’s not bad, either.”

She grinned. “No, no it’s not. Are you… are you still interested in him? I know you stepped forward for him, but I thought you and Bobby looked like you were getting along.”

“Bobby’s nice, but I’m not sure how I feel about him yet,” I shrugged. “It’s early, and to be honest I am still looking at Noah, and Gary as well. I think it’s too soon to be set on only one person, especially now that there’s an extra girl in the mix.”

The terrace door opened.

“… so that’s why you never buy tarot cards from bookstores. Understand?” Lottie walked out, followed closely by Hannah and Marisol. “Alright, ladies, let’s chat about our couples. Priya’s on the hunt, so we need to find a way to hold onto our men.”

“So what happened over there with Priya and the boys?” Hannah asked, playing with the ends of her hair. “She didn’t try anything on with Gary, did she?”

“Not really, she seemed more into Rahim and Bobby,” Lottie said.

“Ugh, still?” Marisol looked disgusted. “He didn’t go for it, did he? She’s too intimidating for him!”

“Oh, he was intimidated. But he also seemed to like it. And Rocco flirted with her right in front of me! So disrespectful!”

“What about Noah? Did he come up at all?” Hope asked.

“He could be her type,” I said. “She likes quiet guys. But she said she hasn’t had a chance to talk to him much, either.”

“I hope she doesn’t get in between me and him. It’s still so early, his head could be turned.”

“None of us are really safe right now,” Marisol said. “Josie, have you spoken to Bobby?”

“Not yet, but that’s definitely on the menu for today, along with a side of grafting onto other boys.” I winked. “It’s only day two, my options are still open. Now if you girls don’t mind, while we’re all up here our guys have been left unattended with Priya.”

I had to stifle a laugh at the girls’ alarmed reactions when they realized they had left Priya alone with all of the guys. They each jumped up from their seats and made a beeline towards the terrace door. I followed, albeit at a more leisurely pace.

I went into the kitchen to refill my water bottle, and Bobby came up to me, soaking wet. He hugged me from behind and I jumped at the sudden cold moisture on my back.

“Bobby! What was that for?!”

“I missed you.”

“You’re all wet!”

“Now you are too!” He grinned, and I rolled my eyes in fake annoyance. “What, you’re wearing a bikini, sit in the sun and you’ll be dry in two seconds!”

“You have much to learn, young grasshopper. C’mon, let’s go for a chat.”

Gazing around the villa, I saw that all the girls had pulled their partners for chats, while Priya seemed content to sunbathe on the loungers.

“Roof terrace? All the other private spots seem to have been taken already.”

I returned to the terrace, taking up the same cushion as before. Bobby sat right in the corner and put his legs up on the bench, leaning back. He had grabbed a towel to dry himself on the way upstairs and now folded it and put it behind his head to act as a pillow.

“By the way, you looked amazing earlier,” he said, looking over at me with a grin, “when you showed off your outfit. I liked knowing that everyone was checking you out, but you’re coupled up with me.”

“Oh, do you get off on that kinda thing?”

He blushed. “It’s just nice being the guy that all the hot guys are jealous of for once, okay?” He shifted to sit up straighter. “Anyway, I just wanted to check in with you, see how you’re feeling with the Priya situation.”

“I told her she has to do what’s best for her, and not worry about my feelings or the other girls’. Do you think she would pick you?”

He shook his head. “I dunno, I didn’t really get that vibe. She could take any of the guys, so I’m not sure why she would pick me.”

I looked at him curiously. “What makes you say that?”

“Ah, you know, girls tend to see me as just a friend, nothing more. Although to be fair, usually that’s on me for friend-zoning them. I know I’m all jokes and stuff when I’m around people, and that can make it harder for people to really get to know me.”

“Is that why you came on Love Island? To change that?”

“Kind of. It was more of a dare from my boys at the hospital.” Bobby sighed. “But yeah, a dare that stemmed from me messing things up with yet another girl because I just didn’t see her in a romantic way.” He looked over at me and smiled ruefully. “What about you, what brought you to the Island of Love?”

I rolled my eyes. “Complete fluke. It was just something with my girlfriends… one of them had just gone through an awful breakup, so to cheer her up we went all out on a girls’ night. I’m talking makeovers, limo, the works. Anyway, we crashed at one of my friends’ houses afterwards, and someone turned on the telly. There was an ad saying that they were accepting applicants for the show, so someone convinced us all to apply right then and there. I’d never even seen the show, but somehow I got called for the interview process, and the rest is history.”

Bobby laughed incredulously. “Wait, you haven’t seen the show?”

“I watched it afterwards, but it was too late to back out. Anyway, let’s change the subject. Do you think you’d do bits in the villa?”

He laughed in surprise. “Well, that was a gear shift. Um, I’m not sure. Maybe. Depends.”

“Depends on the girl?”

“That’s part of it, yeah, but I mean it depends on whether the moment is right, too. If my head’s not in the right place, or if she’s not in the mood, then no. Finding someone attractive isn’t the only thing that matters when it comes to getting it on.”

“Like if you’re just in a friendship couple? No… friends with benefits?” I raised an eyebrow and bit my lip.

He laughed. “Let’s just say I’m not opposed, but it’s gotta be mutual. If the girl isn’t up for it then it’s not happening. End of.”

“And if you’ve only got a few minutes, you just shouldn’t bother.”

“Fair enough.” He looked at me thoughtfully. “Right, my turn to ask a question.”

“Go on.”

“Who do you think will be first to have sex in here?”

I thought carefully. “That’s tough, because it might depend on who Priya picks tonight. Lottie seems pretty forward, but I’m not sure how things are with Rocco. It could be Priya, she seems the type to not waste time. But if she doesn’t pick Noah, then it could very well be Hope.”

“Interesting… but I notice you didn’t say yourself,” he winked.

I smiled coyly. “Are you trying to get in my pants, Bobby?”

He grinned. “Maybe I am! How’s tonight sound? We can be the first ones.”

I laughed and shook my head. “Not so fast, cowboy.”

“You know what, Josie? I like chatting with you.”

“’Course you do, babe.”

“Let’s go rejoin the others.”

We stood up to leave, but before he could open the door I put my hand on his. “Hey, Bobby?”

He turned to look down at me, curiosity in his eyes.

“Just in case Priya picks you tonight and I don’t get another chance…” I put my arms around his neck and used one hand to pull his head down towards me, lifting my lips to his. He responded by gliding his fingers across my back and settling his hands on my hips, subtly pulling them closer to him. The kiss lasted for a few seconds before he pulled away. A slow smile crossed his lips.

“Well damn, I’m gonna have to go beg Priya not to pick me tonight.”

He turned to hold the terrace door open for me.

As we walked down the stairs, one of the show producers popped her head out of a doorway. “Ah, Josie, there you are! Can we get you in the beach hut for a few minutes? We just need you to answer some questions – Bobby, you’re next.”

I turned to Bobby. “Catch you later, then.”

“Good luck!”

**********

Half an hour later I headed back outside, and made my way to the kitchen. I opened the cupboard in search of something to snack on.

“Score!” I grabbed a snack-size bag of salt and vinegar crisps. As I turned around, I noticed Gary coming towards me.

He walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. “Finally I find you alone… care for a chat?”

“Yeah, we really haven’t had much time to talk yet, have we?”

We went over to outdoor couches and sat down. I offered him some crisps and he gratefully took a few.

“So… yesterday, you picked me.”

“Yeah, and then Bobby nicked you from me. How are you feeling about things today?”

“I like Bobby, he’s really sweet. I just don’t know if I like him in that way, y’know? I liked his confidence yesterday, and there’s a bit of a spark there physically. But he’s not the type I typically go for, and he mentioned that he has a hard time getting out of the friend zone. It makes me wonder if I would just be wasting my time if I stuck with him… like, what if I tried making it work and it just doesn’t go anywhere? Then by that time everyone else is happily coupled up and I’m sitting there vulnerable, waiting for someone new to come in?” I sighed. “Anyway, I said I’d give him a chance, but we also agreed to keep our options open and talk to other people.”

Gary nodded. “Yeah, I get you. I dunno about you, but I’m here looking for someone to potentially settle down with, so if you don’t think someone’s right for you, why waste your time?”

I smiled at him. “So you think I’m the right one for you?”

He laughed. “Well, you’re the one I’m most attracted to in here, so I’ve gotta try to find out, right? If that’s still something you’re open to, that is.”

“Yeah, I’m definitely open to it.” I leaned back in my seat. “So… tell me about yourself.”

“Well, I’m a crane operator from Chatham. As a boy I was fascinated by big trucks and heavy machinery, so when I was seventeen I got my forklift license and the rest is history.”

“So you like your job, then?”

“Love it! Can’t imagine doing anything else.”

We continued to chat for a few minutes, asking each other the basic get-to-know-you questions. Eventually there was a lull in the conversation, and I decided there was something I just had to ask.

“So… you’ve mentioned your nan a few times. What’s she like?”

“Oh mate, my nan’s amazing!” He grinned. “She’s 73 and she still cooks for the whole family every Sunday. She helps out at this local charity to deliver food for old people who can’t get out much, and half the people they deliver to are younger than her. And she’s totally brutal. She wrecks everyone, all day long. Doesn’t take cheek from anyone, total foul mouth. Always effing and blinding. And she gives my girlfriends a really hard time.”

“Wow. She sounds both amazing and terrifying.”

“Yeah, she’s incredible. And her roast dinner is to die for!”

“I’VE GOT A TEEEEXT!!” Someone yelled from across the lawn.

“I guess you’ll have to tell me more about your nan another time, then. Let’s go see what’s up!”


	5. Priya's Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The islanders play Two Truths and a Lie, and the time comes for Priya to couple up with someone.

Gary and I walked across the lawn to join the other islanders.

Hannah looked excited. “My first missive from our Island Overlords! ‘Islanders, it’s time for “Two Truths and a Lie!” Each of you will list three facts about yourselves, with--”

Lottie interrupted. “And we have to guess which one’s the lie, right?”

“Yes! Hashtag, ‘hidden truths,’ hashtag, ‘truths emerge.’ I love that!”

Rahim groaned. “I’m so bad at reading people.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I reassured him. “It’s just another way for us to get to know each other. If you lose we’ll just throw you in the pool, that’s all.”

He laughed. “I’d like to see someone try.”

“Challenge accepted!” said Bobby, rubbing his hands together.

We reached the firepit and Hope volunteered to start off.

“Let’s see, two truths and one lie? Fact one: I sing in a choir. Fact two: I make an amazing roast dinner. Fact three: I once got kicked out of a water park.”

The other Islanders started debating amongst themselves which fact was a lie. I stayed silent, concentrating more on figuring out what I would do when it was my own turn.

Finally Noah suggested that the water park was a lie, which turned out to be wrong. Apparently she couldn’t cook at all, which seemed to disappoint him.

Noah then took his turn, and Hope also got his fact wrong.

_Either they’re both good liars, or they haven’t really figured each other out yet. It’s just a game though, there’s no point in getting upset over it._

Marisol went next. “I salsa dance, I’ve been to prison, and, um, I’m allergic to pineapple.”

Rahim was quick to point out that she had said “um” before the pineapple fact, which she had previously suggested was an indication of a lie.

“Yeah, I actually absolutely _love_ pineapple,” she said. “The juice, the scent…”

“The side effects?” I smirked.

She laughed. “Yes, the side effects are a major plus.” Some of the others smiled knowingly.

Finally it was my turn.

“Okay, let’s see… I’ve broken bones on two separate occasions, I once threw up on a guy I liked, and I’ve flown a plane.”

Marisol studied me intently. “Interesting… she could be throwing in some tricks with the first two facts… like maybe she only broke a bone once, or she threw up on someone but didn’t actually like him… these are good ones, Josie.”

I gave her a cryptic smile.

“Flying a plane seems like too obvious a lie – it’s something most people haven’t done, whereas the other ones are more believable. So I think that one’s true,” Priya said.

“That doesn’t make sense,” Gary said. “The one that’s less believable is the truth?”

“That makes perfect sense, actually,” Marisol said. “You’d be more likely to point to that one as the lie, which means that if it were untrue it would be too obvious. Kind of like my prison one.”

“So it’s down to the other two, either of which could be a trick answer,” Bobby said. “Josie seems like a really fun person, so it’s plausible that she could have gotten drunk at a party and threw up on a guy…”

“And I know there are plenty of people who have broken bones multiple times.”

“Bobby, she’s your partner. You get the last say.”

“So much pressure!” He said. “Okay, I’m going to say the broken bones one. Please be right!” He closed his eyes and crossed his fingers.

“I’m impressed, Bobby,” I said, smiling. “Your 50-50 guessing skills are quite good.”

“Yes!” He jumped up and pumped his arm, then turned back to give me a high five.

“It’s true, it was a trick answer. I’ve only broken bones once, but I broke multiple bones.”

“Whoa, what happened?”

“It happened when I was a kid, I was skiing and hit a tree. I broke both my leg and my wrist. I did throw up on a guy I liked at a party, and it’s safe to say that never went anywhere. And my dad has a close friend who’s a flight instructor, so I’ve flown small planes before. Even thought about getting my pilot’s license at one point.”

“Neat. That was fun! Okay, who’s next?”

Eventually everyone had taken their turns, and the islanders dispersed. I wanted to get a chance to chat with Noah, but Hope had grabbed him immediately after the game, so I decided to hit the showers and get a head start on getting ready for the evening.

I took advantage of the extra time to take a long shower and put a little more effort into my look than the previous evening. I used a curling iron to create tight, bouncy curls in my hair, smoked out my eye makeup, and applied a nude lipstick. I then chose a choker-style gold halter dress with a daring neck-to-waist cutout in front and additional cutouts down the sides.

_Perfect._

“Trying to steal some hearts with that look, Josie?” Priya asked. Most of the other girls were still doing either their hair or makeup.

“Always, Priya! Although I think you’re the one who’s supposed to be stealing a heart tonight, aren’t I right?”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” said Lottie as she rummaged through her closet. “Do you know who you’re picking, yet?”

“I haven’t quite decided yet,” Priya replied. “I figure I’ll probably make my decision at the last possible moment.”

I left the girls to their discussion and headed onto the terrace for some fresh air.

_I wonder how her chat with Noah went? I never got the chance to talk to her about it._

I noticed a water bottle on the floor and picked it up to read the name on the side. It was Bobby’s.

_He must have left this here when we had our chat earlier. I should bring it down to him._

I went back through the dressing room and down the stairs to the bedroom where the boys were getting ready.

“Hey, how have we been here almost two days already and we haven’t even discussed our numbers yet?”

I stopped just as I was about to open the door.

_Was that Gary? Figures, he’s such a lad._

I bit my lip, debating whether to interrupt or listen in.

_What the hell, this could be juicy._

I listened in as the boys boasted of their sexual exploits. Gary’s number was almost shockingly high.

_He’s only 23 and he’s slept with that many girls? Busy boy…_

Noah’s number was respectable… _Unsurprising, he seems like more of a relationship guy than a one-night stand kinda guy_ … Rocco’s and Rahim’s numbers were a little lower than expected… _I guess I’m not the only girl that doesn’t vibe with Rocco, and Rahim’s got the looks but not the chat_ …

What surprised me most was Bobby’s number. Not nearly as high as Gary’s, but still fairly significant.

“Hey, I have no problem getting girls,” Bobby was saying, “the problem is keeping them!”

“Is it all the bad jokes?” Gary asked. “Or are you just not very good in bed that they don’t come back a second time?”

“You’re one to talk, Gare! Or did your number just refer to the number of _times_ you’ve been with a girl, not the number of girls you’ve been with?”

“So what do you do? Woo them into your bed and then break it to them that you only want to be friends?”

“Fuck off, mate.”

I decided now would be a good time to intervene. I waited a couple seconds, then knocked.

“Are you guys decent?” I asked from behind the door, and waited for an affirmative answer. It came, so I entered. “Not that I mind getting a peek at the goods, just saying.”

The boys stopped and stared at me, jaws dropping to the floor.

“Wow, Josie,” Gary said. “You look… incredible.”

“Aw, thanks, Gary. You look… half dressed. Not that I’m complaining. Anyway, Bobby I found your water bottle upstairs, figured I’d bring it to you.” I held out the bottle and he accepted it gratefully.

“I was wondering where that got to! Thanks, lass, you’re a star. And Gary’s right, you look amazing tonight. Wow.”

I smiled, and started backing out of the room. “Great, well I’ll leave you guys to it. Gary, don’t wear that shirt with those pants. Trust me.”

He looked down at his clothing, then back up at me with furrowed brow.

“I told you, Gare!” Bobby punched him playfully.

I laughed and turned, heading back upstairs to the dressing room to wait for the rest of the girls to finish getting ready. Most of the girls were almost done, but Priya still had her hair in rollers while she finished her makeup.

“Need help, babes?” I asked.

She nodded gratefully, and I began taking the rollers out of her hair.

Lottie shot me a look. “She’s about to take one of our men, you know.”

I shrugged. “And she’s going to look good doing it, if I have anything to say about it. She’s just doing what she was told to do.”

Lottie huffed as she put the finishing touches on her hair. “That’s me done. Hannah, you ready? Come downstairs with me, babe.”

“I’m done too, I’ll come with,” said Hope.

Marisol gave Priya a sympathetic look as the other girls left the room. “I’m not sure what she really expects you to do. Loyalty to the girls is great and all, but we all came here for the same thing and sometimes that means we have to do what’s in our own best interests.”

“Thanks, girls. I really wish I didn’t have to hurt someone tonight. I didn’t ask for this…”

“Wouldn’t it have been funny if you’d been one of the original five and Lottie had been the bombshell? I wonder what she would have done.” I shook my head and laughed at the thought. “No way she would’ve declined the opportunity to have any guy she wanted.”

I finished with Priya’s hair and we headed downstairs.

Once outside we each grabbed a drink and mingled with the other islanders. There was a quiet tension in the air as we waited for the dreaded moment when a phone would chime making the announcement we knew was coming.

I hung out with Bobby and Gary in the kitchen, joking and flirting and keeping our spirits up. Gary grabbed a pair of tongs from the drawer and snapped them at me, trying to catch me with them as I moved around the counter to evade him.

“Is that how you flirt with hot girls, Gary?” Bobby leaned against the counter and looked amused. “No wonder you’re still single.”

“Says Captain B. Smooth,” Gary said.

“B. Smooth?” I raised an eyebrow. “Did I miss something?”

_DING!_

The three of us looked down at the counter where our phones lay.

“It’s mine…” I picked it up, then turned towards the lawn to alert the others. “I got a text!”

Everyone stopped to look at me in anticipation.

“Islanders, the time has come for Priya to choose which boy she wants to couple up with. All Islanders must now gather at the firepit. #decisionsdecisions #onawingandapriya”

For a moment it seemed like the air was sucked out of the villa, as all eyes turned to Priya. She swallowed and looked to me for support. I nodded in encouragement.

“Let’s go, then.” Bobby took hold of my hand and led me to the firepit. He put his arm around my shoulders as we sat down and kissed the side of my head. I looked at him, studying his face as he stared into the firepit.

_He’s so hard to read… he flirts with me and kisses me, but he didn’t seem to mind that I was flirting with Gary right in front of him._

The couples all sat around the firepit, and Priya took her place in front of us. Her silver dress sparkled in the glow of the fire.

“I never thought I’d be here in this position,” she started.

“What position? Standing, giving a speech?” Bobby said, and I punched his arm. “Ow!”

“Shh!” Hope gave him a dirty look from across the fire.

“I want to thank everyone for being so welcoming when I entered the villa. It wasn’t easy coming in as the new girl and having to catch up.” Priya looked at me and smiled. “Everyone has been so lovely, which made it even harder to make my decision. But I came to the villa to find love, so even though someone might end up upset, I have to go with my heart. So that’s why… the boy I want to couple up with tonight is…”

She paused.

“… Noah.”

All eyes turned towards Hope and Noah. They both looked surprised, but Hope’s face quickly hardened, and she stood, getting in Priya’s face.

“I knew you had your eye on him! Why didn’t you just tell everyone the truth, instead of making it seem like a hard decision?”

“It _was_ a hard decision,” Priya backed up.

“Why couldn’t you have picked someone who wasn’t happy in their couple? Noah and I were already the strongest couple here!”

“You’ve only known each other a day…”

“And you could’ve at least had the decency to have a chat with me and tell me in private instead of letting me find out like this, in front of everyone else!”

“I didn’t know who I was picking until the last moment, honest! I know I should have warned you that I might pick him, and I’m sorry…”

“Well sorry isn’t good enough! Now what am I going to do, watch the only man I like in here go off with someone else?”

Hope ran from the firepit, wiping at her face as she headed towards the villa.

“See what you’ve done?” Lottie glared at Priya, before following Hope.

“I…” Priya blinked back tears, and I jumped up to hug her. Bobby came up behind us and wrapped his arms around us both.

After a few moments someone cleared their throat. “Priya…”

Bobby released us, and we turned to see Noah standing there.

“I think we should talk…”

I removed my arms from around her and nudged her towards him. “Go get your man.”

Priya took Noah’s outstretched hand and he led her to the swinging bench for some privacy.

Bobby put his hand on my shoulder. “You alright, lass?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I turned and smiled at him. “C’mon, it’s late, let’s head to bed.”

We turned into the villa and went our separate ways. I started heading towards the dressing room but wasn’t ready to listen to Lottie and Hope’s whining, so I turned the other direction and went into the beach hut instead. It was just a soundproof room with a camera and a chair, but it was a good place to get some alone time.

After a few minutes I got up and returned to the dressing room, relieved to find it empty. I quickly removed my makeup, brushed my teeth, and changed out of my dress into my pyjamas.

The other islanders spoke in hushed tones as I walked into the bedroom. I made my way over to the bed I was sharing with Bobby. He was already under the covers and lifted his eyebrows as he looked at me.

“Where’d you go? The other girls said you weren’t in the dressing room with them.”

“I decided to sit in the beach hut for a bit. I wasn’t really in the mood for girl chat.” 

The garden door opened, and the room fell silent as Noah and Priya finally walked in. I gave Priya a curious look and she just gave me a small smile in return as she walked by our bed on the way towards the dressing room. The bedroom remained awkwardly silent as Noah rummaged around in his closet for a minute before following Priya.

The moment the door closed behind Noah, Hope jumped up out of her bed.

“I’m not sleeping in the same room as them.” She opened the garden door and walked outside.

From the bed next to us I heard Lottie speaking to Rocco in hushed tones, then she too got up and followed Hope outside.

I sighed.

“Goodnight, Bobby.”

“Sleep well, Josie.”


	6. The Morning Before the Recoupling

I woke up in the morning to find Bobby splayed out on our bed like a starfish, one arm draped over me and one of his legs tangled in between mine. He had partially thrown off the covers overnight, revealing his cupcake-patterned pyjamas.

_Cute._

I extricated myself out from underneath him as gently as possible, so as not to wake him, and headed to the showers. I decided to keep my hair dry while I washed the rest of my body, liking the way the curls from the night before had loosened while still maintaining their shape. Once finished I picked out a red one-piece swimsuit with diagonal cutouts and applied a light layer of makeup.

I headed into the garden and caught the scent of eggs wafting from the kitchen. My stomach growled as I walked over to the kitchen where it sounded like Hannah was educating Marisol on the finer points of Ernest Hemingway novels.

“Is it bad that I’ve never read anything by Hemingway?” I asked, and Hannah turned to me in shock. “He wrote that one about the old guy who goes fishing, right?”

Hannah almost choked. “You mean _The Old Man and the Sea_. You haven’t read it? It’s not even long!”

“Just never had to, I guess. But what does the length have to do with it? Hell, I read _Gone With the Wind_ one summer.”

Hannah sighed and a dreamy look came over her face. “Ooh, Rhett Butler…”

I walked over to where Marisol was standing over a frying pan. “What’s cookin’, good lookin’?”

She blushed and the corners of her mouth turned up in a small smile. “I’m making tortilla de patatas. A Spanish omelette.”

“You eating all that yourself, or is some guy here getting lucky?”

She hesitated and glanced at Hannah. “I was hoping to share with Gary, actually.”

Hannah spun around with a frown. “But I’m cooking for Gary!”

Marisol lifted an eyebrow. “Do you really think Gary’s the avocado on toast kinda guy? Besides, you shouldn’t be putting all your avocados in one basket, sweetie. Why do you think _I’m_ cooking for him?”

“Wait, what if _I_ want Gary?” I said.

“You as well?!” Hannah said, a sad look coming over her face.

“You’ll have some competition, babe,” Marisol smiled.

“It’s just… if the choice is between the three of us, it’s fare thee well for me…”

“You’re just not his type,” I said. “He’s a bloke who probably watches sports all day, you need a guy who’ll dote on you and treat you like a princess. He’s probably never read a book cover-to-cover in his life.”

“She’s right,” Marisol said. “You should be getting out there and grafting on the other boys rather than trailing someone who’s not interested. Find someone who’s more on your wavelength.”

_I could stick around listening to this, or…_

“Anyway, I’m going to let you settle this on your own,” I said, and turned to walk back into the villa, the sound of Hannah’s continued pleas fading behind me.

_… I could go get the upper hand myself._

I found Gary sitting alone on his bed, and I smirked to myself.

_Looks like it’s my lucky day!_

“Hey handsome,” I said, dropping onto his bed.

He smiled. “Alright, Josie? You’re looking ace this morning.”

I pulled back the covers and moved over to sit beside him, resting against the headboard. I pulled the covers up to my waist and he grinned.

“I like a girl who gets straight down to business. What brings you in here, then?”

“I’ve got a good feeling about breakfast,” I smirked. I heard a noise at the door and looked up to see Marisol and Hannah jostling each other to try to get into the room first. They looked up and noticed me, and I smiled sweetly.

“You even got into bed with him!” Hannah gasped, while Marisol laughed.

“Well played, Josie. Well played.”

Gary looked confused. “What’s going on here, then?”

“I made you breakfast!” Hannah said eagerly.

“ _We_ made you breakfast,” Marisol said. “Each of us.”

“Wow, I’m spoilt for choice.” Gary turned to me. “Which one do you want, babe?”

_I’d really love a bit of that omelette, but I don’t think he’s going to be satisfied with the avocado toast._

“I’ll take the toast,” I said, and Gary gratefully took the plate from Hannah and handed it to me.

“I hope you’re pleased with yourself, Josie,” Hannah pouted. “You’ve ruined everything!”

She turned on her heels and quickly walked back outside.

“You two look cosy,” Marisol said. “Got room for one more?”

I shifted closer to Gary and patted the bed beside me. “The least I can do is share. Too bad Hannah wasn’t interested in a foursome.”

Marisol giggled and climbed into the bed beside me.

“Thish ish relly gud,” Gary mumbled, his mouth full of omelette.

“You have two gorgeous women in bed with you and you’re talking with your mouth full? Gary, didn’t your nan teach you better manners than that?”

He swallowed. “Sorry. It’s really good, Marisol. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Marisol responded. “Did you want to try a piece, Josie?”

She held her plate out towards me.

“I thought you’d never ask!” I took the fork she offered me and took a bite. “Mmm… so good.”

The three of us continued our breakfast, chatting in between bites. When we finished, I offered to clean up.

Marisol followed me into the kitchen while Gary ran off to join the boys.

“So, Josie, I was just wondering…”

I poured some dish soap into the sink and turned on the tap, then turned to face her. “What’s up?”

“The other day, when you kissed me…”

I grinned. “Ah yes, the kiss.”

She smiled. “Is that… is that something you’re interested in? Like, if things don’t work out with the guys, is it possible that you might see me as an option?”

I turned the tap off and turned to look at her, alarmed. “Oh shit! Did I give you the wrong impression? I mean, I think you’re totally sexy, but I’m not actually interested in girls… in that way.”

“Oh! I’m sorry, I guess I misunderstood.”

“No it’s not your fault at all, I realize now… fuck.” I looked down and started scrubbing the plates. “I mean obviously I said I’d been with a girl before, and I know I’ve made some comments here and there… but it’s really just a physical attraction for me, you know? I’m really sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. I did kiss you after all, and I enjoyed doing it.”

I rinsed the plate I was holding and put it on the dish rack, and Marisol grabbed a tea towel to dry with.

“That’s okay, I totally get it. So why did you pick me for the kiss, anyway?” She asked curiously.

“Besides shock value?” I grinned. “A few reasons, really. I’m interested in both Noah and Gary, but wasn’t sure how to choose between them. Then there’s the fact that whichever one I chose, I’d probably be pissing off their partner. Since you had opened up earlier about being bisexual, I figured you’d be up for it. So really you were the safe choice.”

She nodded. “That makes a lot of sense, actually.”

“I enjoyed it, though. You’re a great kisser.”

“So are you! Who knows, maybe we’ll get a chance to do it again someday.”

“I wouldn’t say no!”

We laughed and continued chatting while finishing the dishes. We were just finishing up when Rocco walked over with his coffee mug.

“Oh, if you’re done with that, I can wash it for you, Rocco,” I offered.

“Nah, I’m just getting a refill. You know Lottie was trying to read my coffee grounds? Is that legit, or like, just what the coffee people want you to believe so you keep buying more coffee?”

I nearly choked on my laughter. “The coffee people? Is that a thing?”

Marisol smiled. “I don’t need any excuse to keep buying coffee, I drink tons of it. Maybe I should get Lottie to read my grounds someday.”

“Tarot and astrology, sure. But coffee grounds? I dunno about that.” Rocco was about to take a sip of his coffee when his phone chimed. He looked at it, then yelled out over the lawn. “TEEEXT!”

“’Islanders, tonight there will be a recoupling. The boys will choose. Whoever is still single by the end of the evening will be dumped from the Villa immediately. #timesup #getgrafting’”

“Oh. My. Days,” Marisol’s mouth hung open in shock.

My stomach tightened into a knot. _I know I’m probably sorted… but we’re losing someone already? This is awful!_

I looked over at the other girls to see a mix of emotions on their faces. I walked over to Priya.

“Can we chat?” I asked, and she nodded. We went and sat on the daybeds. “How are things with Noah?”

“They’re good. I think. Ugh.” She put her head in her hands. “This recoupling is just way too soon, you know? We just got together last night, and he seems really open to pursuing things… but he said he also wants to continue getting to know Hope. And now there’s a recoupling and he already has to choose between us.”

“Plus there’s extra pressure knowing that whoever doesn’t get picked tonight is going home. I’d hate to be put in that position, especially this early. What if someone misses out on a great relationship because they didn’t get enough of a chance to get to know whichever girl gets dumped?”

“I’m just wondering what the point of me having to steal someone was if I was only going to be with him for 24 hours. First I make enemies, then I might lose the guy anyway.”

I looked at her with sympathy. “You guys look so cute together though, I’m sure he’ll pick you.”

“Yeah, maybe. Hopefully. It’s hard to say.”

“Can I just ask… yesterday I told you I wanted to get to know him, but I still haven’t had the chance to chat with him. Would you be okay with me still pursuing that today? If not I’ll leave it, but I just get the feeling if I don’t do it now I’ll lose any chance at turning his head.”

Priya smiled ruefully. “Well I suppose if I’m going to lose him I’d rather it be to you than to Hope.”

“I don’t have to—”

“No, you do. You’ve liked him since day one, and yesterday you told me that I had to do what was best for me, so now I’m going to say the same to you. It’s only right that you let him know now that you’re still an option for him.”

“Thanks, Priya. You’re the best.” I reached over and pulled her into a hug.

Noah was swimming laps in the pool, so I walked over and sat on the edge with my feet in the water.

I watched him for a few minutes, admiring the way the water made his muscles gleam in the sunlight. Eventually he surfaced and grabbed the edge of the pool, catching his breath. He turned and saw me.

“You’re pretty fast,” I smiled.

He grinned. “You should see my younger brother. I haven’t beat him in a race since he was thirteen.”

He swam over to where I was sitting and rested his arms on the edge. “How’re you liking the villa? We haven’t really talked much, have we?”

“No, you’re a tough man to track down. I’m enjoying villa life so far, but I’m wondering if maybe I could be enjoying it more.”

He raised his eyebrows.

“Look, Noah, I’m just wondering… I get why you picked Hope that first day, but is there a chance you’d still be open to getting to know me?”

He frowned. “Josie, I…” He pulled himself out of the pool and sat beside me. “Look, I’m flattered, really. I think you’re gorgeous and fun, and under pretty much any other circumstance I’d be well chuffed to get to know you. But there’s a recoupling in a few hours, and there’s a lot riding on it. I know you’ve already got something going on with Gary and Bobby, and I’m not really the type to go after the same girl that my mates are pursuing.”

“What if I told you that I’d pick you over them?”

He gave me a small smile. “You say that, but we’ve also hardly spoken, so I don’t think you can really know for sure. Besides, there’s also the matter of Hope and Priya… it’s already hard enough choosing between the two of them, and now you want to add yourself to the mix?” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Josie, but now just isn’t the right time.”

“Wow. I’ve known you three days and you’ve already rejected me twice.”

He opened his mouth to respond and I put my hand up to stop him.

“It’s okay, Noah, I’m just joking. I understand… I may not like it, but I do understand. I just needed to know where your head was at as far as I was concerned, and now I know.”

I got up, squeezing his shoulder to indicate there were no hard feelings. I walked back to the daybeds where Priya was still sitting, and heard a small splash behind me as Noah slid back into the pool.

I fell backwards onto the bed beside her.

“It’s just you and Hope,” I said.

“I’m not sure whether to be pleased for me, or sad for you,” she said.

I rolled over onto my stomach and rested my chin on my hands, looking at her. “It’s fine, I love rejection.”

“Aww, honey!” She leaned over and put her arm around me. “You’re not used to it, are you?”

I laughed. “What gave it away?”

“Girl, you’re a 10 out of 10. Of course you don’t get rejected often.”

“Thanks, you’re sweet. And you’re a 10 too, so if I’m going to get rejected for anyone else, it better be you.”

“So what’s next for you, then? Gary, or Bobby?” Priya asked.

I sighed. “I’m going to have to talk to them both, see where their heads are at. I’m thinking I’d like to try it with Gary, so I’ll talk to him first and then if he says yes I’ll let Bobby know.”

“Sounds like a good plan. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to go spend time with my man, give him something to think about before the recoupling tonight.”

I laughed. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”


	7. R E C O U P L I N G

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a recoupling! Who's picking who, and what happens next?

It was mid-afternoon by the time I had a chance to speak to Gary alone. He was in the kitchen, fixing himself a sandwich – or trying to, anyway.

“How does Bobby do this?” he mumbled to himself, staring at the mess in front of him.

“Need help?” I asked, putting my hand on the back of his arm as I surveyed the contents of the kitchen counter.

“How does Bobby make this look so easy? It’s the same butter! He did it in, like, one swish.”

“Swish?” I raised an eyebrow.

“You know,” he waved his hand in front of him. “Swish! I’ve messed up half this loaf of bread, but I just want a sandwich!”

I laughed, moving to sit on one of the barstools. “Does it really matter what it looks like? It’s all going to end up in the same place. I mean if it’s really not working for you, you could just cut up everything into pieces and dump it all in a bowl. Make a sandwich salad.”

He stared at me. “A what, now?”

I grinned. “Have you ever had a taco salad? All the taco ingredients, but in a salad. What’s stopping you from doing the same thing with a sandwich? Half the ingredients are the same anyway, so it could work.”

“Sandwich… salad.” He looked thoughtful. “You know, Josie, that’s a really weird idea and I feel like I should be absolutely disgusted, but now you’ve got me all intrigued.”

To my amusement, he started chopping up the bread he had already mangled, then turned to grab a bowl from the cupboard.

“My nan usually makes my food for me,” he said, dumping the bread into the bowl and picking up the knife again to chop the lettuce. “So I’m not very good in the kitchen.”

“That’s sweet of her.”

“Yeah,” he smiled. “That’s her all over. Temper of thunder, heart of pure gold. Loves to make sure her family is looked after. I appreciate what she does for me, but maybe it’s time for me to learn how to do some of this stuff for myself.”

He finished chopping the sandwich toppings and put them in the bowl, then found a bottle of sub sauce in the fridge and squeezed some into the bowl. Grabbing a fork from the drawer, he mixed the contents together, then offered it to me to take a bite.

I declined the offer, and he put the first bite into his mouth.

“How is it?” I asked, watching as he chewed.

He swallowed. “Kinda tastes like a sandwich. But different.”

“Success, then?”

“With my limited cooking skills, it’ll have to do. So, recoupling,” he changed the subject. “What are you thinking?”

“I was hoping you’d choose me.”

The fork stopped midway to his mouth and he looked at me. “Seriously?”

“If you want to, that is.”

A slow smile spread across his face. “Of course I want to. I hope I get the chance before someone else scoops you up.”

“At least this time nobody can steal me after you’ve already picked me,” I smirked.

He laughed. “Yeah, no need to worry about that this time.”

“I don’t think you’ll have any problems tonight. I already know Noah won’t pick me, and I’m going to tell Bobby I want a chance with you. I haven’t been grafting on the other guys, so you should be fine.”

“Good. I’m really looking forward to it, then. Oh, hey Bobby.”

“Hey, guys!” Bobby walked into the kitchen holding a few empty water bottles. “My turn to get refills.”

He looked at the bowl in Gary’s hand and came to a stop.

“Um, Gary… what the hell are you eating?”

“A salad,” Gary said sheepishly.

“What kind of salad?”

“Um… sandwich?”

Bobby raised his eyebrows. “You’re a disgrace.”

“Hey, it was Josie’s idea!”

Bobby turned to me. “You put him up to that? Josie, I’m disappointed.”

I laughed. “You left him in his hour of need, Bobby. All I did was give a little inspiration.”

He shook his head. “Gary, I’m going to teach you a few things in here if it’s the last thing I do.”

He proceeded with his task of filling up the water bottles, then turned to leave.

“Hey, Bobby?” I called out, and he turned back to look at me. “Can we have a chat?”

“Sure! Let me just give these bottles back to the girls, and I’ll be right back.”

I turned back in my seat and saw that Gary was finishing off his salad. “Final verdict?” I asked.

He shrugged. “It wasn’t bad, but there’s nothing like the feeling of a 12-inch sub sandwich you can hold in your hands. Salads just aren’t as satisfying, are they? Anyway, I don’t think this will catch on.”

“You’ve got the option as a last resort, at least.”

“Fair. Anyway, Bobby’s coming back, so I’ll make myself scarce. See you tonight, Josie.” He winked at me, then walked off to join the other boys.

I got up from my stool and turned to meet Bobby with a smile.

“Hey,” I said, suddenly feeling shy. “Let’s just sit over here,” I indicated the outdoor couches just off to the side of the kitchen, and we sat down.

“I assume this is about the recoupling?” he asked. “Spill.”

I took a deep breath. “I’m pretty confident.”

“And you totally should be. You’re hot stuff! Just not as hot as me, obviously,” he joked.

I laughed, feeling my muscles relax. “I just wanted to tell you, I asked Gary to pick me tonight.”

He nodded slowly, not meeting my eyes. “I figured that, when I saw you two talking. He couldn’t wipe the grin off his face. Thanks for telling me, though, I appreciate the heads-up.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Do you know who you’re going to pick?”

He leaned back, squinting his eyes. “Not really. Guess I’ll just see how the cards fall, and go from there. Hopefully I don’t have to go first. Although I don’t particularly want to go last, either. I don’t want to be in the position where I have to make the choice that sends someone home.”

“I guess that’s one drawback of being friends with everyone, eh?” I gave him a sympathetic look, and he returned it with a sad smile.

We sat in silence for a few seconds, and Bobby held up his hands, examining them in the sunlight.

I reached for one of his hands and pulled it towards me, looking at it and tracing along its lines with my fingers.

“You have nice hands,” I said.

He chuckled. “You certainly know how to make a man blush.” He sat up and spread his hands palm-up in my lap for me to examine. “Piano fingers. I used to play.”

“Really? I always wanted to learn, it just never happened.”

“Well, I played, like, one song. Over and over. You might know it, actually.” He sat up and started to sing ‘My Darling Clementine,’ and I smiled.

“You said you were in a band, right? You’re a good singer.”

“Thanks! Yeah, I was for a bit. An indie punk band. We played some local shows, but I had other passions, so eventually it just sort of fizzled out. It was fun while it lasted, though.”

“I bet you got a lot of girls that way.”

He laughed. “Yeah, not gonna lie, it wasn’t a bad way to get girls. That’s all behind me, though. Anyway,” he stood. “I guess I’ve got to do some last-minute grafting.”

I grimaced. “Sorry, Bobs. I probably should have talked to you earlier.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He gave me a light kiss on my forehead and walked away.

I sighed. _This place sucks._

**********

A pineapple and coconut mist hung over the dressing room as the girls prepared for the evening. I tried to tune out the mutterings and focus on myself, but Hannah’s pacing was starting to get on my nerves.

“We feeling good, ladies?” Hope asked in an attempt to break the tension in the air.

“Far from it,” Hannah sat down and nervously pulled the hair tie from her braid, undoing it and starting over.

“I’m sure it’s going to be fine, hun,” Hope reassured her, stroking her back.

Hannah sighed. “I’m sure you’re right. Que sera, sera!”

“What does that even mean?” Lottie asked.

“It’s from a musical. There’s a whole song about.” She cleared her throat and started to sing, “’Que sera, sera… whatever will be, will be… the future’s not ours to see… que sera, sera.’”

Lottie smiled. “You’re just a ray of sunshine, aren’t you?”

“If you girls are nervous, try focusing on the point just behind your belly button,” Marisol said. “It forces your body to relax.”

I rummaged through my closet for an outfit, finally settling for a partially sheer glittery white one-sleeved crop top with a matching sheer skirt. I left my hair down in loose, voluminous curls.

Much like the night before, a sense of foreboding hung in the air as the islanders mingled, splitting into smaller groups throughout the villa. I sat with Gary and Marisol on the daybeds, not attending to their conversation as I watched the other interactions around us. Bobby, Lottie, and Hannah were sitting by the firepit, where it looked like Lottie was trying to read Hannah’s palm. The remaining islanders sat on the beanbags by the pool, and I watched as Noah and Rahim stood and walked away from the group, returning a few minutes later.

I lifted my wine glass to take a sip, only to find it empty. I sighed, and stood up. “I’m going to get a refill,” I said, indicating my empty glass. Gary nodded, then turned back to Marisol.

I walked to the kitchen, where I found Rocco fixing a smoothie.

“Oh hey,” he said. “I’m just whipping up a wheatgrass smoothie. Want one? It’s great for centering your digestion.”

I screwed my face in disgust. “No thanks… I’m just here for more wine.” I found a half-full bottle and was pouring myself a glass when my phone chimed.

“Guys, I got a text!”

Rocco started the blender, drowning me out.

“Sorry Rocco, could you just…”

“Sorry, what?” He put his hand to his ear. “This’ll just take a minute.”

“I’ve got a text! I want to yell it out.”

“I can’t hear you! The blender is too loud!” He pointed towards the blender, shrugging his shoulders.

I glared at him and held up my phone, but he had already turned his attention back to the blender.

Bobby walked over and yelled, “Hey, is that a wheatgrass smoothie?!” Rocco nodded. “Cool, could I get one?”

Rocco turned off the blender. “Sure thing, my friend.”

“You alright, Josie?” Bobby asked.

“Yeah, I just got a text.”

“Awesome, why didn’t you say so?” He turned and yelled. “Guys! Josie’s got a text!”

_Unbelievable._

The other islanders ran over, and I read the text. “’Islanders, it’s time for the recoupling. Please go to the firepit immediately. #decisiontime #notimeforchat’”

“Right, this is it, then…” Marisol said.

We walked over to the firepit, the boys sitting on the benches and the girls standing in a row in front. Nobody spoke, the silence broken only by the buzzing of cicadas.

I clasped the hands of Priya and Marisol on either side of me and waited. Finally, a phone beeped, and Noah stood.

“That’s me,” he said. “This decision hasn’t been easy…”

“Wait,” Gary broke in, “aren’t you mean to start with, ‘I’d like to couple up with this girl because?’”

Noah turned and glared at him. “Do you mind?” He turned back to face us. “Obviously in the last few days I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know two beautiful ladies, and deciding between them hasn’t been easy. I came in here to find someone to join me on my journey through life, and I think this woman is everything I’m looking for. I can’t wait to spend my summer finding out more about her. So the girl I’d like to couple up with is…

“Hope.”

_WHAT?!_

Shock rippled through me, and I released Marisol’s hand so I could turn to comfort Priya. “Babe, I’m so sorry!”

She put on a brave face. “I’ll be okay. It’s not totally unexpected.” She released me, and I fell back into the line, taking up Marisol’s hand again. I took a deep breath, then looked up to face the boys.

Hope had taken her place beside Noah with a smug smile, and Rahim stood up.

“I guess I’m up. I’d like to couple up with this girl because I think we’re a bit of the same, and I want someone who gets me. We’ve talked a fair bit now, and I think she’s a sweet person and I’m looking forward to maybe opening up to her more as we get closer. So the girl I’d like to couple up with is…

“Priya.”

_Okay that’s interesting…_

I squeezed Priya’s hand and gave her a hug before she walked over to join Rahim, giving him a small peck on the cheek. He blushed, and they took their seats.

Another phone went off, and Rocco stood up.

“I’d like to couple up with this girl because the magnetism I feel towards her is unignorable. In a world of embers, she’s a roaring bonfire, and my soul is drawn to her flames like a wanderer in the night… or a moth!”

_Yawn._

“Oh, and she’s really hot. So, although this might come out of the blue, I’m going to take a risk because I really want to see where things go with me and this girl. So the girl I’d like to couple up with is…

“Josie.”

My head snapped up in shock.

_Oh, hell no._

I threw an exasperated look at Gary, but he was staring at Rocco in open-mouthed shock. Beside him, Bobby sat with brows furrowed.

Marisol elbowed me. “Aren’t you going to go over there?”

I felt my body move against my will, my face burning as the corners of my mouth turned up in a forced smile. Rocco reached out a hand towards me but I ignored it as I walked past him to sit on the bench, the smile on his face falling as he followed me.

I looked over at Gary again, this time catching his eye. I shrugged and shook my head. “I didn’t know,” I mouthed, and he nodded.

I turned to listen to Bobby giving his speech. “This is a tough decision, because I rate all three of these girls as ridiculously gorgeous friends and don’t want to see any of them go home. I’m just going to have to go with my gut on this one and see if there’s a chance our friendship can grow into more. We still have a lot more getting to know each other left in store. So without further ado, the girl I’d like to couple up with is…

“Marisol.”

A look of annoyance flickered across Marisol’s face for the briefest of moments before she covered it up with a sweet smile and walked over to where Bobby stood.

_She must have been hoping Gary would pick her._

They sat down, and at last it was Gary’s turn. He stood, looking a little unsure of himself, and glanced between the last two girls remaining. Lottie and Hannah held hands, both looking worried.

“Guess I’m last. I didn’t reckon going at the end would be this hard, to be honest. I mean, one of you girls is going home based on my decision.” He sighed and shook his head. “But that’s the way it has to be, right? And someone already chose the girl I was originally going to pick…”

He looked over to where I sat with Rocco, and I gave him a sad smile.

He continued. “Still, it is what it is and I’m open to giving this girl a chance and keeping my options open. The girl I choose to couple up with is Lottie.”

Hannah’s shoulders slumped, and Lottie cried as she enveloped the younger girl in a hug. The rest of us stood up from our seats to crowd around them, each of us hugging Hannah and giving her kind words in our turn.

Gary was the last to embrace her, engulfing her in his large frame and patting her on the back. “Look, Han… I’m really sorry. No hard feelings, yeah?”

She extricated herself from his arms and nodded, wiping the wet tears from her cheeks.

Finally her phone beeped. “’Hannah, your time on Love Island has come to an end. Please pack your bags and get ready to leave the Villa immediately.’” Her lip trembled. “I don’t know what to say… I can’t believe I’m going home!”

“It won’t be the same without you here,” Lottie said, putting her arm around her. “You brought the loveliest energy in here with you. Who’s going to be the sunshine to my moonlight now?”

They turned to walk into the villa arm in arm, and the rest of us followed, subdued. The girls went upstairs to help her pack, Lottie hovering over her like a mother hen. Finally, it was time to say our final goodbye as we crowded near the villa entrance.

“Thanks for everything, guys. I hope we’ll all keep in contact.” She closed her eyes and furrowed her brow. “Together we beat on, like boats in the current, into the future.”

Lottie pulled her into one last hug. “When the summer is over, we’ll hang out, okay?” Hannah smiled and nodded, then pulled away.

“Goodbye, everyone!” She waved and turned, rolling her suitcase behind her as she walked down the long path to the driveway where a car waited to whisk her away.

We waved her off, then turned to re-enter the villa. The evening was late, so we readied ourselves for bed.

I was brushing my teeth when Lottie walked into the bathroom.

“Oh,” she said. “I’ll come back when you’re done.”

I spit out my toothpaste. “There’s no need for that, it’s a communal bathroom. Plus, I’m basically finished.” I rinsed my mouth, and stood up, meeting her eyes in the mirror. “Are you okay? That was a rough evening.”

“Well let’s see… oh yeah, Rocco dumped me for you, my best friend in here was just dumped, and if it wasn’t her it would’ve been me instead. So what do you think?” She snapped.

I grimaced. “I’m sorry, Lottie. I had no idea Rocco was going to pick me. I haven’t encouraged him at all! In fact, I was hoping to be with Gary.” I laughed at the irony that I was with her ex and she was with the guy I wanted.

She nodded, her face softening. “You’re right. I can’t be mad at you if we’re both in the same boat. Us girls have got to stick together. Are we good?”

“Yeah, we’re good.”

“Right. Let’s put this recoupling business behind us, then.” She turned to the sink to brush her teeth, and I took my cue to leave.

On my way down the stairs I noticed a light on in the living room. I poked my head in, surprised to see Gary sitting there. He looked up as I entered, giving me a sad smile. I figured after the events of the evening we could use a private chat, so I closed the door behind me.

“Hey,” he said. “Some recoupling, eh?”

“Yeah, that did not go how I expected it to.” I sat down next to him on the couch and placed my hand on his arm. “You okay? That couldn’t have been easy.”

He sighed. “What part, seeing Rocco couple up with you, or having to send home the girl I’ve been coupled up with for the last three days?”

“Both, I guess.” I looked at him curiously. “What made you pick Lottie?”

He shook his head. “I couldn’t have kept Hannah’s hopes up that something would work between us, so I didn’t think it was fair to pick her. I thought Lottie deserved another shot, she looked blindsided when Rocco picked you.”

I nodded. “Makes sense. Are you… did you mean it when you said you were open to giving her a chance?”

Gary looked at his hands. “It would only be fair. To her, that is. I haven’t really given her much of a chance yet, and now I’m coupled up with her I should give it a shot.” He looked back up at me. “But I’m going to tell her I’m still interested in you. Maybe she won’t be interested in a love triangle and will try to get back with Rocco? Or maybe a new guy will come in and she’ll be with him. Maybe—”

I put my finger on his lips to stop him. “It’s okay, Gary. I understand. I know I’m not interested in Rocco, but I think you should at least give Lottie a chance.” I smiled. “You’re right, she does deserve that at least.”

“I really wanted to be able to kiss you tonight,” he said, gazing into my eyes. He brushed a lock of hair away from my face.

I bit my lip.

“Oh, fuck it,” he said, leaning forward and crushing my lips with his. I met his tongue with my own and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me. His beard tickled my face but I didn’t care, and I gasped as his hands found the cold skin of my back just below the hem of my cropped pyjama top. He allowed his hands to roam upwards underneath the fabric, and a shiver went up my spine as I arched my back, pushing our bodies even closer together. My mouth urgently pressed against his, until I finally had to pull back, gasping for air. I stroked his cheek with my thumb as I looked into his ocean blue eyes, and he held me as if he didn’t want to let go. I lifted my mouth again, kissing him softly this time, then rested my head on his shoulder.

“I should have guessed you’d be a good kisser,” Gary said.

“You’re not too bad yourself,” I smiled up at him.

He grinned. “As first kisses go, that was a cracker. Wow.”

“So there are going to be more?”

“If you’re lucky. Hell, if _I’m_ lucky.”

I laughed, then sat up as he loosened his grip on my waist. “We should probably be going to bed.”

“Right… you go first, we probably don’t want to walk into the bedroom together.”

I nodded, standing up and walking to the door. As I opened it I turned, giving him one more small smile before walking out and into the bedroom.

Luckily my entrance went unobserved, as the other islanders were still sorting out bed arrangements and getting themselves settled. I found Rocco’s curly head in one of the middle beds, and walked over to get in on the other side.

“Hey,” he said. “I tried to get one of the corner beds, but I was overruled.”

“Why would we need a corner bed?” I asked.

“Um… I don’t know, I thought it would be nice to get a little privacy.”

I rolled my eyes. _Is this guy oblivious or what?_

He was silent for a moment. “Maybe I’m reading too much into things, but I felt like you were being distant with me earlier after I picked you.”

“Look, can we talk about this tomorrow? Today’s been intense, and I really think we should be having this conversation somewhere private, not in a room full of people.” I looked up to see Gary entering the room and making his way over to where Lottie sat waiting for him. “Let’s just keep it friendly tonight, and talk in the morning.”

“Yeah, sure,” he nodded, and I rolled onto my side with my back facing him. I heard him sigh and shift closer to the edge of the bed.

I closed my eyes, still feeling the tickle of Gary’s beard on my lips as I drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed... comments and kudos are appreciated!


	8. Your Slime is Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beach Hut musings, couples brunch, and a fun challenge to spice things up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I've been posting every 3 days up to this point, but chapters are getting longer and my writing is getting slower, so I may not be able to keep to that schedule anymore. But I'm still got plenty planned for this, so stay tuned!

I woke up early to the feeling of cool morning air on bare skin. I looked over to search for the duvet, only to find it wrapped around Rocco’s body.

_Figures._

With the morning came the memories of the night before, and I knew I needed to get my head sorted before having a much-needed chat with my new partner.

_Beach hut, then a workout._

I rolled off the bed and gave my body a stretch, then made my way upstairs to the beach hut. I sat in the large chair, made myself comfortable, and took a deep breath.

“So, last night… Gary kissed me.” I smiled, raising my fingers to my lips as I remembered the feel of his mouth against them. “That was a nice end to an otherwise shitty night. That kiss was… wow. For a first kiss, I don’t know how you top that! I know I should probably tell Lottie about it, but I’m kind of scared to go there. Especially after our chat in the bathroom, she was already feeling down about losing Rocco and Hannah… oh my god, and then Gary and I kissed!” I felt my eyes widen and buried my face in my hands. “Shit, I didn’t even think about her feelings. There’s no way I can tell her. I mean, I was straight with her about wanting to be with him, but to immediately go and kiss him like that? Fuuuck, shit’s gonna hit the fan if she finds out.”

I ran my fingers up into my hair, taking another deep breath, then composed myself and looked back at the camera. “The recoupling was unexpected. I mean, not the recoupling itself, but how it went. Priya is an absolute goddess, but Noah chose to go back to Hope instead? I mean, Hope is a nice girl for the most part, but I know who I would’ve picked if I were in his shoes. Rahim got lucky with his pick, that’s all I’m going to say there. I reckon she might be happy with him, they seem to get along. He certainly talks more around her than the other girls…” I trailed off as I remembered seeing Noah and Rahim walk off together last night prior to the recoupling.

_They weren’t talking about Priya, were they?_

I paused, the thought taking root in my head, but I was unable to allow myself to vocalize it. No, I couldn’t jump to conclusions like that. Not without more information.

“And then Rocco went and picked me… I still haven’t talked to him yet, but I just have no idea what he was thinking. I haven’t given him _any_ encouragement; I’ve barely talked to him at all! Bobby picking Marisol surprised me a bit, I thought he and Lottie were getting close. But maybe he knows already that she could only ever be a friend and thought Marisol had more potential as a romantic interest?” I shrugged. “I’ll have to talk to him, see what he’s thinking. And then poor Gary. It couldn’t have been easy sending Hannah home, even if it was obvious he wasn’t into her. She’s a nice girl, I’m just not sure Love Island was really the place for her.”

I ended my monologue there, and headed to the dressing room to put on some workout gear for part two of my self-prescribed therapy. 

I crossed the lawn where some of the show crew were setting up tables and an assortment of food.

_Are we getting brunch? Awesome!_

I reached the gym and started doing my warmup. As I was stretching, Gary came out of the villa and started heading towards me. His face brightened when he saw me, and he picked up his pace.

“Good morning!” I said, smiling up at him as he approached. “Come to lift something heavy?”

“That’s exactly what I’m here for. Things were getting a little heated in there,” he said, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb towards the villa.

“Oh? What’s going on?”

“Lottie,” he grimaced. “She’s getting on Rocco’s case for last night. Do you want to do weights? I can spot you.”

“Sure,” I smiled, and settled onto the bench. I lifted in silence, focusing on the workout and enjoying the ache in my muscles. I didn’t want to push myself too hard, so I stopped after a couple sets. Gary leaned over to help lower the weights, his face coming close to mine. Almost by instinct I dropped the weights and lifted my arms, wrapping my hands around Gary’s face and pulling him into an upside-down kiss. The unusual angle gave the kiss a strange, almost alien sensation. It excited me as much as the forbidden nature of the kiss, and I let myself revel in the new experience, brushing my tongue against his and softly pulling on his lower lip. He came to his senses and pulled back, staring back at me.

“Holy hell, Josie. That was incredible, but we’ve gotta stop doing this or it’s gonna get us in trouble.”

I sighed. “I know. We’ve got to tread carefully, and not go behind our partners’ backs. I just… I’ve always wanted to do that.”

He laughed. “Yeah, now I can cross doing the spiderman upside-down kiss off my bucket list.”

My phone chimed, and I looked at it to find that Bobby had forwarded me a text about couples’ brunch. I showed it to Gary, and together we returned to the villa.

I took a quick shower and decided to French braid my damp hair instead of blow-drying it and chose a simple black bikini for the day.

_Sorry Rocco, but I’m not putting any extra effort into a brunch date with you._

I made my way downstairs just as the others were heading outside. I heard Priya and Bobby squeal excitedly as they checked out the spread of food.

“Yes, bruv!” Gary said. “This is more like it.”

“I like to experience a variety of foods,” Rocco mused. “But I can’t start the day with anything too heavy – it upsets my stomach.” He picked up a grapefruit and tossed it, catching it again and putting it on his plate.

He looked at me. “Is there anything here you like the look of?”

“All of it,” I said. I started piling my plate, suddenly noticing how famished I was.

“It’s only been an evening, babe,” I heard Hope whisper behind me.

“I know, but there’s just no spark, you know?” Marisol whispered back.

“Do you want Josie’s take on it? She was coupled up with him.” Hope nudged me, and I turned.

Marisol smiled at me. “With you and Rocco, are you feeling, you know… the spark?”

I looked over my shoulder to ensure Rocco was out of earshot. “The only sparks flying in our relationship will be when I chew him out for picking me.”

“So maybe it’s not just me, then. I know it’s only been an evening, but I thought I’d feel something. I mean, I didn’t feel it with Ibrahim. But I’ve not got it with Bobby yet, either.”

“Give him more time! Not all relationships are built on an immediate attraction. I’m not denying that some people do get that spark right away, but I don’t think it’s a must. Some of the strongest relationships start out as friendships, you know.”

“That makes me feel better,” Marisol said. “Thanks!” She picked up a pastry and turned to walk to the table where Bobby was already sitting. He looked up as she approached, and I gave him a smile as I caught his eye over her shoulder.

“Nicely put, Josie.” Noah said. “I didn’t mean to pry, but I couldn’t help overhearing.”

“Let’s get to our table, hun,” Hope said, putting her hand on Noah’s arm to direct him away.

I gave him a shrug, then grabbed a croissant and walked over to the table where Rocco was waiting for me. I raised an eyebrow at the amount of grapefruit on his plate, but made no comment.

We ate in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, until eventually Rocco started shifting in his seat. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. Finally he settled on a neutral topic.

“So what’s it like being an architect?”

I relaxed, glad to speak about something normal. “It’s challenging, that’s for sure. Long hours, and it can be mentally draining, because it’s both creative and analytical at the same time. But it’s also thrilling to see something you’ve had a hand in designing actually get built.”

“You enjoy it, then.”

“Yeah, absolutely. Every job comes with its challenges, right? But usually it’s the challenges that make it that much more rewarding. Finding a solution to a problem, making clients happy. Even just winning the bid on a project, knowing all the hard work you’ve put into your proposal isn’t going to go to waste. It’s not easy, but I love it.”

I took a sip of tea. “So what about you? I know you drive a food truck… what’s your main goal for your life?”

“Wow, you ask the big stuff,” Rocco drawled, leaning back in his chair. “What do you think it is?”

I thought for a moment as I chewed my croissant. “Freedom, and not having to decide. Travelling the world at your own leisure.”

Wow,” he said. “I couldn’t have put it better myself. I don’t like holding myself back with rules and expectations. I see life as a road, you know? I’m just along for the journey. Maybe you’ll be there with me…”

I nearly choked, coughing and trying to regain my composure. “We’re very different, you and me. I thrive on structure – get up early, work out, go to the office – whereas you don’t seem the type to want to be tied down to any one place. I couldn’t handle your lifestyle, and I don’t think you could handle mine.”

He frowned and shifted in his seat, fiddling with his fork. “Alright, I’ve got one… you know people get that feeling when they’re with the right person? Do you think we have it? Or something like it?”

I put my fork down and looked him in the eye. “Rocco, why did you pick me last night? I’m pretty sure I haven’t given you any encouragement, and I’m certainly not going to sit here and pretend that I’m happy you chose me. No, I don’t have that feeling, or the spark that Marisol was talking about earlier.”

“Well that’s not what I wanted to hear. I guess I just figured, it’s like what Bobby said that first day – sometimes if you’ve got an opportunity, you’ve gotta take it, right? I think you’re the fittest girl here, and I had a chance to pick you, so I took it.”

I sighed. “Well I’m sorry you did, because I’m nothing if not honest, and although I don’t want to hurt your feelings, I can’t pretend that there might be a chance for us to be anything more than friends. Gary was going to pick me last night if you hadn’t, and I think you should know that I still intend to crack on with him. I just don’t want to do it behind your back.”

He nodded, not meeting my eyes. “Yeah, guess I won’t be making that mistake again.”

The rest of our meal went by in silence, and I took the time to watch the other couples. Hope was looking all loved up, but I caught Noah sneaking a glance or two at Priya, who was smiling and laughing with Rahim.

_I still don’t understand what went on there. He clearly likes her, so why didn’t he pick her?_

Gary and Lottie were talking in subdued tones, the bags under her eyes suggesting sleep had not come easy after her rough evening. Bobby, meanwhile, was animatedly talking and laughing while Marisol simply looked amused, shaking her head every now and then.

I saw Priya collecting the dishes from her table and heading to the kitchen.

“I’ll clean up, Rocco,” I said, grabbing his plate and standing up. He gave me a grateful look, and I went to catch up with Priya.

“Good morning!” She said as I approached. “Good brunch?”

I shrugged. “The food was good, but it wasn’t the company I would have chosen. What about you?”

She lifted her eyebrows, and the corner of her mouth turned up. “You’re fishing, Aren’t you? Fine, I’ll tell you.” She sighed. “Obviously, Noah still wants to get to know Hope, so I knew there was a good chance he’d still pick her. That’s why I wasn’t too surprised last night. Disappointed, yes. Surprised, no.”

“Well I definitely saw him checking you out this morning, so you’re clearly still on his mind,” I winked.

She smiled. “We’ll just see where things go from here. In the meantime, I could do a lot worse than Rahim. He’s really sweet once you get past his awkwardness. He tried to compliment me… I think? He ended up comparing me to poached eggs. He said it’s because they’re perfect.”

I laughed. “You are perfect. But poached eggs? That’s another story.”

***********

_SPLASH!_

Bobby’s head emerged from the water, and he looked expectantly at me.

“Hm… six!” I said, holding up six fingers.

“Six? Oh come on Jos, are you sure you’re not just biased?”

I gasped in mock dismay. “That’s a very serious accusation, Bobby! No, I’m not biased, Gary’s splash really was bigger than yours. Ask anyone. You still have one round to try to beat him, so quit badgering the judge and get back in line.”

“Fine, but let the record show that I’m competing under protest.”

He pulled himself out of the pool and shook the water off himself, splashing me as I unsuccessfully held my hand up to guard myself.

I stuck my tongue out at him, then waved Noah on to take his turn. His splash was even smaller than Bobby’s, so I held up five fingers.

Behind me, the other girls were discussing their brunch dates. I wasn’t particularly interested in rehashing my morning with Rocco, so I had happily offered to help the boys settle the question of who could create the biggest splash in the pool instead.

“Boys! We have a text!” Marisol said, and I contorted my body around on my beanbag to give her my attention as the boys walked over. 

“’Islanders! It’s time to see your true colours – who’s squeaky clean and who likes to get down and dirty. #timetoplaydirty #mixthingsup’”

“I’m always down for getting dirty…” Priya smirked, and I reached over to give her a high five.

“You and me both, babe.”

“It’s going to be a gross-out challenge probably,” Noah said.

Rahim looked apprehensive. “Are they going to make us swap food from our mouths or something?”

“What’s wrong with that?” Bobby laughed. “Seems efficient! Cuts down on the chewing.”

“Nope! Not having this discussion,” Rahim turned away with a look of disgust, as Marisol’s phone chimed again.

“‘P.S. The winner of this challenge will get to choose someone to share some luxury ice lollies with. #luckylickers’”

“Yes!” Bobby pumped his fist in the air.

“That’s it, I’m winning this one,” Priya said.

“Oh, yeah? Babe, you haven’t seen my competitive side yet,” I grinned. “I hope they’re like the ones that have sorbet on the outside and ice cream in the middle!”

“C’mon, let’s quit gabbing and get ready to win! I want those lollies,” Gary started jogging in the direction of the challenge platform, and we followed.

The challenge stage was set up in a field adjacent to the villa, and the production crew made us run towards it a few times, filming multiple takes to be aired on the show.

We reached the stage to find it set up with a large paddling pool with some sort of strange substance in the middle, surrounded by large buckets filled with colourful slime on one side, and clear jugs on the other.

“Well, I don’t think it’s a food-swapping challenge,” I turned to Bobby. “Disappointed?”

His eyes gleamed. “Nah, whatever this is, it looks like it was made for me.”

I got the text advising us that the boys would have to be covered in the slime and the girls would have to fill their jugs with an assigned colour without using our hands. The winner would be the girl whose slime best matched her assigned colour.

I turned to the girls. “Okay girls, we have to mix colours, which means we’re each gonna have to rub against a guy we’re not partnered up with. It’s just a challenge, so let’s just do what we have to do, alright?”

Hope frowned, but the other girls nodded.

The boys stepped into the paddling pool and lined up.

“You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve been covered in slime,” Rocco said. “But last time was more cleansing…”

“Like one of those exotic sulphur mud baths?” I asked.

“What? No, I mean when I was getting my van cleaned and accidentally got covered in this strange cleaning agent. My skin squeaked for, like, a week…”

I laughed, then grabbed the bucket of blue slime and unceremoniously dunked it on him.

“Agh!”

The girls went to stand by our jugs, waiting for our colour assignments. I looked over at the boys to see which of the other guys I might have to get up and close with. Noah and Gary were red, Rocco and Rahim were blue, and Bobby was yellow.

_I’ll probably get purple or green… either way I’ll have to go for Rocco. Hopefully I get purple so I can have some fun with Gary._

Our phones chimed simultaneously, and I looked down to read mine. _Green! Bobby it is, then…_

“We ready?” Lottie asked, and we took our stances waiting for the signal. A horn sounded, and we charged at our respective partners.

“Steady lads, here they come!” Gary grinned.

I ran into the pool and headed for Rocco, who stood in a starfish pose with his eyes closed.

“C’mon ladies, I’m up for grabs!” Bobby said, waving his fingers in a ‘come hither’ motion.

I rubbed up against Rocco, getting as much of his colour on me as I could without getting too up-close-and-personal. I stepped away, and Marisol walked over, already covered in yellow.

“Need some of this?” I asked her, laughing.

“Cheeky!” She laughed, rubbing her hips against mine.

I moved to Bobby.

“Fancy meeting you here,” he said, a glint in his eye.

“Your slime is mine!”

“Feeling feisty, eh? I haven’t had a proper wrestling match in yonks.” He threw his arms around me and tried to wrestle me to the ground.

“No fair, I can’t use my hands!” I desperately tried to resist and get out of his strong hold.

“Who says I want it to be fair?” He dropped his voice. “Well, that’s woken me up. Who knew you were so talented?”

He released me, and I stared at him, speechless.

“Wait! You missed a spot.” He pointed to my chest. I looked down, and he flicked my nose with his finger.

“Oh, you’re gonna get it,” I said, stepping closer until our faces were a couple inches apart, keeping eye contact as he smirked at me. In a swift motion I hooked my leg around his and yanked, watching the look in his eye swiftly change to surprise as he lost his balance and fell backwards into the muck. His other leg crashed into mine and I let out a yelp as I fell on top of him.

My scream drew the attention of the others, and they stared open-mouthed at us.

“This is the kind of thing I thought I’d be doing in the Hideaway…” Bobby said, smirking at me.

I laughed and stood, noticing the other girls were already working on their jugs, and ran to join them.

As I watched them struggling to get their slime into the jugs without using their hands, an idea popped into my head, and I turned back to the boys.

“Hey Rocco, come help me out!” He ran over and grabbed my jug, scraping it along my body to catch as much of the slime as possible.

“Hey, I thought we couldn’t use our hands!” Marisol said.

“The text just said we couldn’t use _our_ hands,” I smirked, looking up at the girls. As I did so I noticed that Priya was still over by the boys, getting extra close with Noah. I raised an eyebrow but stayed silent.

Lottie turned to see what I was looking at and rolled her eyes. “What did I say about her?” she said.

Hope turned, and her face flushed red in anger. “What the hell is this? You’re already covered in slime, you don’t need more. We’re all here filling our jugs already, and you’re going back for seconds?”

“Oh!” Priya looked down at herself. “I thought I had too much blue, needed more red.”

“Don’t play innocent,” said Lottie. “You totally just wanted to stick it on him while Hope had her back turned.”

“Leave her alone, guys, she needed his colour for the challenge. We all had to grind against someone else’s partner. We agreed beforehand that we’d do what we needed to do.”

“No wonder Josie’s sticking up for Priya, seeing as she pulled the same stunt herself.” Lottie turned to me, a challenge in her eyes.

A laugh escaped my lips. “What can I say? I know how to have fun, and it’s not every day you get to wrestle in a pool of slime with a hot guy. Take advantage of your opportunities while they’re in front of you.”

Priya grinned at me. “That’s what I’m talking about!”

Rocco had stopped collecting my slime and stood there holding my jar.

“Thanks,” I said, taking it from him and putting it next to the others’. I had definitely gotten more of Bobby’s yellow slime than Rocco’s blue, so it was a bit of a snot-green hue.

_Don’t think I’ll be winning this one after all… thanks, Bobby!_

“I got a text!” Lottie said. “Yes! ’Lottie, as the Islander with the most slime that most resembles your assigned colour, you win today’s challenge and the ice lollies. #willyoushare #lickaway’”

“Well done!” said Gary, holding up his hand for a high five, which she returned with gusto. “Right, sod being covered in this stuff any longer. To the showers!”

**********

“I don’t know about anyone else here, but I feel like going all out tonight,” Hope said as she curled Marisol’s hair that evening. “You girls should do the same.”

_She’s going all out so she can keep Noah’s eyes on her, I bet._

“This is your first evening in your new couples,” she continued. “Now’s the time to put in the effort. And I want Noah’s jaw to hit the floor when he sees me.”

_Nailed it._

I changed into a tight black leather dress with spaghetti straps criss-crossing over an open back, and began pulling my hair into a fishtail braid as Priya walked into the room in a low-cut champagne dress that showed off her ample cleavage.

“Better watch out, Hope,” Lottie said as she applied her eyeliner. “Priya might be trying to do the same thing.”

Priya turned to look at her and crossed her arms. “You got something to say, Lottie?”

“I already said it, babe.”

“You’ve been making snide, childish comments about me all day, and I’m sick of it.”

“Childish? I’m 24, babe.”

_Oh my god, are they really going to do this right now?_

“Then act like it! You’ve had it in for me since day one, when all I did was come in a few hours later than you!” Priya uncrossed her arms and raised them in frustration, pacing the room as she did so.

Lottie finally put the eyeliner down and looked up. “All you did? You stole Noah from Hope!”

“I had to steal someone, that’s what I was told to do! This is Love Island, it’s part of the game!”

“Guys, calm down—” I tried to cut in before Lottie cut me off.

“And what about today in the challenge? You were grinding against Noah even though he’s back with Hope!”

“You’re the one who won the challenge, so clearly you did the exact same thing!”

Lottie huffed. “Well you just had to go in for seconds, didn’t you?”

“I still like him, hun, I’m not going to just step aside without at least trying to get what I want.”

“Well if you ask me, you’re breaking girl code,” Lottie said pointedly.

“I didn’t ask you, but if you want to talk about girl code, let’s talk about you!” Priya’s eyes blazed as she pointed a finger at Lottie. “You form little cliques, convincing yourself it’s all for the good of your girls, and then excuse it as being ‘girl code,’ but all you really want is to control everyone. You’ve done it here, and I guarantee that you do it on the outside, too.”

“How dare you! I’m done with this.” Lottie stood, her stool falling over behind her, and stormed out of the dressing room.

“There you go again – walking off!” Priya pursued her, and Hope put down the curling iron.

“We should follow them,” she said as she ran out of the room.

_So we can all be involved in the petty drama? Oh, yay!_

“But what about my hair?” Marisol called after her. “And she’s gone.”

I picked up the curling iron and finished curling Marisol’s hair. “There, all done, babes.”

“Thanks, Josie,” Marisol smiled into the mirror at my reflection. “You’re a lifesaver!”

We walked downstairs and could hear the yelling even before we went outside.

“I just tell it like it is, babes,” Lottie was saying. I stepped outside to see Bobby and Gary in the midst of a sandwich-making lesson, wide-eyed as they looked back and forth between Lottie and Priya. Hope stood nearby but didn’t seem to be doing much to diffuse the situation.

“Why should I have to justify anything?” Priya responded.

I walked into the kitchen and stepped between them. “Both of you, cool it! You need to get some space from each other. Let’s not ruin the evening for everyone else, okay?”

“I’m going anyway,” Lottie said, throwing one last look at Priya before she headed back into the villa. “I need to be on my own.”

I turned to Priya. “You okay, babe?”

“I think I might need some alone time of my own,” she said, turning on her heel and heading towards the daybeds. Hope and Marisol wandered off to the beanbags.

I sighed and turned to give the boys an apologetic look. “Sorry you had to get caught up in that. How are the cooking lessons coming along?”

Gary looked down at the collapsed mess of bread and meat in front of him. “Yeah… not much better than yesterday, to be honest.”

“Thanks for stepping in there, Josie,” Bobby said. “Usually I like having a front row seat for the action, but that wasn’t what I paid for.”

I laughed. “Yeah you guys looked like deer in the headlights. I felt like I needed to rescue you.”

“Our knight in shining armor,” he grinned. “Oh great knight, how can these two damsels in distress ever repay you?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Damsels? More like wenches. Give me some ale, wench!”

They laughed, and Gary poured me a glass of wine, which I accepted gratefully. We chatted for a few minutes before I started getting worried about Lottie. I downed my wine and set the glass on the counter.

“I’m going to go check on Lottie,” I said. “She hasn’t come back down yet, and I don’t want this issue with Priya dragging on.”

Bobby nodded. “Do you want any help?”

I shook my head. “Nah, this is girl stuff. Thanks for the offer, though.”

I walked through the villa, looking through each room for a sign of Lottie before finally finding her on the roof terrace. She looked up when I opened the door, only to turn away from me.

“What do you want?”

“Just checking to see you’re okay, babe.”

She snorted. “What do you care? You’re always on Priya’s side.”

I sat a few feet from her. “I’m not on anyone’s side, I just want the two of you to get along. We’ve all got to live together, and I don’t want to feel like we’re all waiting for the next blow-up.”

“Some of what Priya said got to me. Don’t you at least see where I’m coming from?”

“All I ask is that you think about how Priya feels, hun. Put yourself in her shoes – it can’t be easy feeling like everyone’s talking about you just because you arrived later.”

Lottie smirked. “She does have nice shoes…”

I laughed. “Would you have all this beef with her if she’d arrived at the same time as us? Because that’s literally the only difference. What if it had been you or me in her position? She just wants to stay in the villa, like we all do. She didn’t choose to be put in the position she was.”

“I’m sick of everybody saying that, like it makes everything okay. She made a choice to come here, didn’t she? Everyone talks about this like it’s all some sort of big game, but I came here for the right reasons – to find love! It’s not just a game for me, and this might be my only chance.”

“And you don’t think she’s here for the same reasons? I don’t think any of us would be here if we weren’t looking for the same thing.”

“Please, guys fall on their knees for her. Maybe she should give the rest of us a chance.”

“I think if you gave _her_ a chance, you might find that she’s got the same reasons for being here as you. Besides, she’s had a rough day. She coupled up with a guy she liked only to have him choose someone else the next night, and then she gets attacked for getting close to him in a challenge. She’s just doing what she needs to do in here.”

She shook her head. “I see what you’re trying to do, but I can’t afford to let my guard down around her. I can’t risk her getting in the way of my finding love.”

She stood and left the terrace before I could respond. I sighed.

_That went well…_

I lay down on the bench, looking up at the stars and picking out the few constellations I recognized. I needed a break from the girl drama, and stargazing always brought back good memories of camping trips with my dad when I was a girl.

After a few minutes I decided to return to the others. As I entered the bedroom, Bobby came in from outside.

“There you are,” he said. “Lottie’s back out here and I was wondering what happened to you. Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” I smiled. “Thanks for asking. I just needed a few minutes to myself. I guess that’s starting to become a trend.”

He walked over to me and gave me a hug. “You’re all tense… here, lie on the bed.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Okay…”

I lay on the bed and he sat beside me. His hands moved to my shoulders and he began kneading my muscles with firm pressure.

“Honestly, I’ve not done that many massages, but I figure it’s basically the same as kneading dough…”

I melted under his touch, the tension of the day rolling away. His hands were warm on my cool skin, and I felt shivers up my back as his fingers moved down along my spine before coming to my hips. He paused, then increased the pressure as he rolled his hands upward again.

“Mm… I’m not used to being compared to a lump of dough, but this is working for me.”

“Glad I could help.”

The massage continued for a few minutes before he finally gave my shoulders a final squeeze and removed his hands.

“Bobby…”

“Yeah?”

“I can’t move. I’ve melted into jelly.”

He chuckled and helped pull me up into a sitting position, putting his arm around me as I rested my head on his shoulder.

“Bobby, can I ask you something?”

“What is it?” he asked softly.

“Why did you pick Marisol at the recoupling last night? I thought you were closer with Lottie.”

He stilled and hesitated before replying.

“Honestly, I was hoping Rocco would pick Marisol or Lottie, and then I wouldn’t have to choose between them. And I knew that whichever one I picked, Gary would choose the other one.” He took a deep breath. “I also had a pretty strong feeling that Marisol wanted Gary to pick her.”

My brow furrowed in confusion. I waited for him to continue, but he was silent.

_If Marisol wanted to be with Gary and Bobby knew that, then why didn’t he pick Lottie?_

I looked up at him questioningly, only to find him looking down at me, his face mere inches from mine. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then pulled his head back.

“C’mon, we should go back outside.” He removed his arm from my waist and stood, offering his hand to help me up, then releasing it once I was on my feet. He turned and walked out the door, leaving me standing there staring at his departing figure.

_What just happened?_


	9. New Boys!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a short one, but the next few will be longer. I took some liberties with Henrik's appearance, hope you enjoy!

For the second morning in a row I woke early. The lights were still off and the sounds of snoring came from one – two? – of the other beds. I knew that attempting to fall back asleep would be hopeless, so I grabbed my phone from the side table and tiptoed past the sleeping couples, climbed the stairs to the second level, and headed through the dressing room to the terrace.

The morning sun was already beating hot upon the floor as I moved my body through some gentle stretching exercises. I wished we had been allowed to upload music to the phones we’d been given, but had to settle for the calming sounds of birds chirping and insects buzzing instead.

The stillness and tranquility were broken by the sounds of a loud splash and laughter – male laughter – drifting up from below.

_Who was that?_

I stood and peeked over the edge of the terrace, nearly tripping over myself as I saw two unfamiliar figures by the pool. One of them sat on the edge with his feet in the water, the other had just pulled himself out, his long blonde hair dripping wet.

_New boys! And nobody else is up yet…_

I grinned and went back into the dressing room, quickly changing into a teal bikini with gold chains wrapping around the neck and waist and pulling my hair into a loose braid. I applied a quick coat of mascara and a light layer of lip gloss and ran back downstairs, sneaking through the bedroom and opening the outside door as stealthily as possible. Home free, I ran through the garden and onto the lawn before slowing down into a stroll, doing my best to look nonchalant as I approached the boys.

“Hey guys.”

They turned at the sound of my voice, and I stopped short. They were both drop-dead _gorgeous._

“Oh, hello! I’m Lucas.” The man who spoke was tall with black hair, a chiseled face, and the body of a god. The corners of his lips turned up as he met my eyes with an intense gaze that made my stomach drop.

“Hey! I’m Henrik.” I turned to the other man, who was almost the complete opposite. Long blonde hair with smiling green eyes and just a hint of stubble on his tanned cheeks, his body had the look of someone used to spending most of his time outdoors. Tattoos covered his arms and spread across his chest. I thought I caught a hint of an accent, but couldn’t place it.

“Kudos for being down first, but where are the others?” Lucas asked.

“Others?” I asked innocently. “What others?”

“Cheeky,” Lucas smirked. “They’re not up yet, are they?”

“You can’t blame a girl for wanting the new guys to herself for a bit, can you?”

“To be fair, out of all the girls you’re the most likely to pull a stunt like this,” he laughed.

“Classic Josie move,” Henrik smiled.

“Oh shoot, I keep forgetting this is on telly! You must know so much already.” I blushed, wondering what the guys had seen.

“Yeah, there’s been a few secretive moments already,” Lucas smirked, then moved closer to whisper in my ear. “And I’m not just talking about yours…”

My eyes widened. “What? Tell me, who—?”

He shook his head. “We’re not allowed to say.”

I stuck out my lower lip and gave him my best puppy eyes.

He laughed. “Cute – how can I resist? Alright, let’s just say… there’s _speculation_ that some people might be playing more of a game than others."

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“That’s all I’m saying,” he smiled smugly. “Rules are rules, after all.”

I turned to Henrik with a sweet smile. “Could you…?”

“Whoa!” He chuckled. “A girl like you could get a guy in serious trouble! Sorry, love, I’m staying out of this one.”

“Fine! At least tell me this – how bad are the memes?”

Lucas grinned. “It’s still early days…”

“… But I could definitely go for a wheatgrass smoothie right about now,” Henrik cut in.

“Using the recipe I discovered that one time when I was driving through Croatia?”

“The very same!”

The boys turned to each other and high-fived each other, and I joined in their laughter.

“You guys nailed it! That’s hilarious!”

“Hi, boys!” I turned to see the other girls running across the lawn.

“Good morning, ladies!” Henrik said with a grin.

“Have you already been in the pool?” Marisol asked, taking in Henrik’s appearance.

“Yeah, it’s a scorcher, and I was getting bored of waiting for you all. Lucky thing Josie came out to meet us.”

“Yeah, nice of you to wake us up, Josie,” Lottie glared at me, and the others turned to me with frowns on their faces.

“Sorry babes, but you all looked so cosy…” I smiled mischievously.

“It seems you girls were outdone this time,” Lucas said, smiling at me.

“So who do you guys have your eye on?” Hope asked.

Before the boys could answer, the girls started bombarding them with other questions, and their eyes widened.

_Good thing I got here early!_

Henrik turned to Lucas. “I knew they’d be a handful, but this is more than I bargained for!”

“I’ll show you who’s a handful,” Lottie smirked.

Henrik grinned back at her. “Oh, you’re even feistier in person!”

At that moment the boys finally came running out of the villa, and they crowded around the new arrivals, making introductions as the girls stood impatiently off to the side.

“What are we doing by the pool?” Gary said. “Let’s have a seat by the firepit and get some proper introductions.”

“You lads are in for a right grilling!” Bobby said with a cheeky grin. “Get it?”

“Oh my days, Bobby…” Lottie rolled her eyes.

“Isn’t it a bit early for barbeque?” Henrik’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“Barbeque? No, I mean we’re going to ask you questions!” Bobby grinned, clapping his hand on Henrik’s shoulder and directing him towards the firepit.

“Oh! Okay!”

We moved to the firepit as a group, with Lucas and Henrik taking seats in the middle of the bench. Most of the couples sat together, and in the shuffling around I managed to claim the spot beside Lucas, with Gary and Lottie on my other side.

“Oh my, this fire pit is even more snug than it appears on TV,” Lucas said, shuffling closer to me to create space on the other side of the bench.

_Is it? I didn’t think it was that snug..._

“So what do you guys do?” Marisol asked, looking at Lucas.

“I’m a physiotherapist,” he said.

“Oh, so you give the best massages,” I said. My eyes wandered over to the other side of the bench where Bobby sat, remembering the massage he’d given me the night before, but he didn’t meet my eyes.

“Well, I’ve had no complaints,” Lucas said, “but I’m also good at giving people a real good stretch.”

“Perhaps you could show us some exercises later,” Priya said flirtatiously. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Noah shifting in his seat, while Hope sat with rapt attention.

“And I’m a climbing and wilderness survival instructor,” Henrik said.

“That explains the body,” said Lottie appreciatively.

Henrik returned her smile. “It just comes naturally. Climbing is all about pulling up your own body weight, after all. And spending a lot of time outdoors will always be good for you. I love anything outdoors – hiking, camping, water sports.”

“I like water sports, too,” Lucas said. “Mostly rowing.”

“You row?” I asked. “I love my rowing machine for a workout, but I’ve always wanted to try the real thing.”

“There’s nothing better than rowing on a calm body of water first thing in the morning. Maybe when we get out of here I’ll take you.”

“If you’re lucky,” I winked. He just smirked in response.

Gary cleared his throat. “So lads, the big question… what’s your usual type?”

Henrik spoke first. “I like a girl that’s outgoing and adventurous. Someone who likes spending time in nature. In terms of looks, I tend to go for brunettes and I have a real weakness for good tattoos, ones that have had a lot of thought put into them.”

Lottie sat up straighter, studying him intently.

“I guess I’m used to girls who have decent taste,” Lucas said. “Who know what they want in life and how to get it. I usually like blondes, and someone who knows how to dress well. But those are just generalizations, I’m certainly open to getting to know anyone.”

I thought I caught his eyes shift towards me, but couldn’t be certain.

“Alright, alright,” Gary said. “That was an easy question. Who else has one?”

“Oh, oh!” Bobby piped up. “What’re your numbers?”

“Oh, uh… well I hate to kiss and tell,” Lucas started, “and this seems a tad vulgar…”

“You don’t have to tell us,” I reassured him. “The other guys haven’t even told us theirs yet, so it’s hardly fair for them to ask you that in front of everyone.” I gave Bobby a pointed look, but again he failed to meet my gaze.

_What’s gotten into him today?_

Lucas smiled at me. “Thanks, Josie. I don’t really mind saying, but I think you’re right that it’s a conversation for another time.”

“So guys… time for the big question. Who do you fancy?” Noah asked.

“Noah! You actually spoke!” Bobby said in mock surprise.

“I do that occasionally,” he deadpanned.

“I’d forgotten how silky smooth your voice was.”

“Settle down, Bobby. Anyway, who do you guys fancy?”

“For me, it’s got to be Josie,” Lucas said, looking at me, and my stomach flip flopped. “You’re definitely the type of woman I go for, and I’d love to get to know you better.”

I suddenly felt shy, and blushed as I gave him a small smile.

“I’m definitely into Lottie,” Henrik said, “she’s my type all over.” He looked over at the gothic blonde as she tried to hide a smile.

“Ah, another brave soul who dares try to tame the beast,” Bobby said, stroking his chin. Lottie smirked at him and held up her middle finger.

“Right, then, who’s up for a tour of the villa?” Gary stood up.

“Wouldn’t that be a job for us?” Marisol asked, eyebrows raised.

“Nah, we should do it as a group,” he said.

“This sounds good,” Henrik said. “Lead on, Gaz!”

“… It’s Gary.”

“Sure, Gaz,” Lottie said, poking him.

“Well that nickname is sticking!” Bobby said. “C’mon, let’s get this tour underway.”

**********

Priya pulled me aside while the others gave the new boys the grand tour, and we headed to the daybeds.

“Okay, Josie. Real talk,” she said. “That outfit is fit as duck.”

I giggled. “Duck? Is that a real phrase or an autocorrect fail?”

“I don’t know, but I’m sticking with it!” She laughed. “And by the way, smooth move getting the jump on us with the new boys this morning. That’s what I love about you, you just don’t give a fuck sometimes. Did you see Lottie’s face? Priceless!”

“Honestly, I couldn’t believe my luck when I saw them out there and you were all still sleeping. Sometimes it pays to be an early riser.”

“Well you made quite the first impression. Especially with a certain physiotherapist…”

I blushed. “He’s gorgeous, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, he’s fit. The things I’d do to him… if only I’d brought my handcuffs.”

“There might be a pair in the hideaway if you’re lucky.”

“If there is, I won’t be the only one who’s lucky,” she said suggestively, and we both laughed. “So if he wants to recouple with you, what would you do?”

“It’s a bit early to say, isn’t it? I mean, yeah he’s fit, but what if we don’t get on? And I can’t just throw away the fact that I’ve got a good connection with Gary, too.”

“Then I guess he’d better get grafting. Next recoupling should be girls’ choice, so we’ve got the power.”

“I like the sound of that, to be honest.” I leaned back against the pillows and chewed thoughtfully on the straw in my water bottle. “It can get pretty intense in here, eh? I mean, on one hand it feels like a relaxing vacation in the sun, but on the other hand we’re forming intense connections with people we’ve only known for days, and at any moment one of us could be dumped or someone new could come in and shake up the dynamic.”

“Careful, you’re getting dangerously close to Rocco territory,” she smirked.

“Hey gals!” Bobby interrupted, walking over carrying two steaming mugs. “I noticed you weren’t with the rest of us and then realized no one had made a brew yet.”

We accepted the mugs, and I took a sip. “Thanks, this is really good, Bobby! Just the right strength.”

“You’re welcome. I was always told I had a knack for making tea, but I’m not sure why. It’s easy enough. Anyway, I’m going to rejoin the Gary tour bus.”

“You can join us if you’d like,” I offered, patting the bed.

“Nah, I figure you’re talking about the new boys. I won’t interrupt your girls’ chat, just wanted to bring you a cuppa.”

He turned, and I watched as he walked back into the villa.

“Sometimes I don’t know what to make of that boy,” I said. “He’s a total sweetheart. How is he still single?”

“Besides the fact that he friend-zones everyone almost immediately?” Priya asked.

“But surely there must be girls out there who would see how great of a guy he is and find a way to get past all that.”

Priya shrugged. “It’s a two-way street, he’s got to like them enough to let them in.”

**********

“… So that’s why I think my hands are so good, basically. Good symmetry on either side of the middle finger, immaculate cuticles, and no conspicuous scars _despite_ how much time I spend around hot ovens. I should become a hand model.”

“Henrik should become a hand model.”

The villa tour long over, we were settling back into normal villa life after the morning’s excitement. I sat by the pool applying sun cream, half-listening to the others’ idle chatter.

“What about you, Josie?” Bobby asked.

“Hm?” I brought my head up. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Would you choose Henrik over Rocco?”

“Absolutely. Unless he starts talking about vibes and deep connections, but I don’t think that’s his thing.”

_DING!_

Across the lawn, a phone chimed, and we turned to see whose it was. In the kitchen, the new boys were hanging out with Noah and Rahim, and Henrik was reading from his phone.

“I got a text! ‘Henrik and Lucas, today you will each get the chance to date three girls. Please choose the islanders you wish to take on your first date and prepare to leave the villa. #firstup #playthefield’” Henrik looked up and gave Lucas a high-five. “Woohoo!”

“You first mate, who are you picking?” Lucas asked him.

“For my first date, I’d like to take…” Henrik looked over at where we were sitting, and a smile spread across his face. “Josie!”

I smiled back. “Great, I’d love to!”

“And I’ll take Hope,” Lucas said.

“Oh my gosh!” Hope exclaimed. “Yes! Josie, come let’s get ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated!


	10. Dates!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Thanks to Bumble_Bees for the prank suggestions!
> 
> Also note that this chapter was written before NeLd13 posted "Pranks" - which, if you haven't read it yet, is hilarious and you should all go check it out (here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24619198/chapters/59476498). Great minds think alike! 😊

“What are you going to wear, Josie?” Priya asked as she rifled through my cupboard while Hope and I prepared for our dates. “Something sexy, I hope.”

I paused in the middle of applying my makeup to stare at her. “You’re kidding, right? One gorgeous hunk of a man is taking me on a date, the other said he fancies me, and you’re asking me if I’m going to wear something sexy? Babe, I’m considering going on this date in my best lingerie!”

She laughed. “Okay maybe don’t go that far, but…” she pulled out a hanger. “What about this one?”

She was holding up a sheer black lace jumpsuit with rose print embroidery, a deep v neckline, and a black high-waisted knicker insert.

_Perfect for an afternoon date in the hot Spanish sun._

“Good choice, Pri,” I smiled and returned to my makeup.

“You’ve got to tell me where you got this. Damn, I wish we were the same size, I would totally steal it from you.”

“We’ll go shopping together when we’re out of here.”

“Yes!” She said. “We could drop some serious cash together.”

She began rummaging through her own cupboard and came up with a pair of sky-high black designer sandals, which she put on the counter beside me.

“Here, wear these with it.”

I looked at her gratefully. “You’re a doll!”

I quickly finished with my makeup and put on the jumpsuit and shoes.

“You look gorgeous – oh! There’s one more thing you’re missing!” Priya started rummaging through the bottles on the counter, before picking one and holding it up. “Here, try this.”

She handed me a bottle of Tom Ford Velvet Orchid perfume to try. I nodded approvingly and sprayed it on my pulse points, filling the room with the scent of orange blossom and orchids.

“Sexy.” I turned to Hope. “Ready, babe?”

She swiped a makeup brush across her cheeks once more, then turned to me and grinned. “Let’s do it!”

We left the dressing room to find Henrik and Lucas sitting at the bottom of the staircase waiting for us. At the sound of our footsteps they stood and turned, gaping at us.

Henrik held out his hand for me as I reached the bottom steps. “You look incredible,” he said.

Taking his hand, I smiled up at him. “Thanks, you don’t look too bad yourself.” He wore a button-down shirt with the top few buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and dark grey shorts. The bright white of his shirt contrasted sharply with his deep tan and emerald eyes, and his hair was pulled away from his face into a bun.

I snuck a peek at Lucas, who looked just as good in a blue short-sleeved button-down and white shorts. He caught my glance and gave me a wink and a half-smile. My heart fluttered.

_What on earth is this guy doing to me?!_

“Shall we?” Henrik asked, and we walked out of the villa to two waiting Jeeps.

The Jeeps took us a short drive away to a nearby Spanish garden where two tables sat in a stone courtyard under a vine-covered pergola. Each table was laid out with a fruit tray and a bottle of wine. Lucas and Hope walked over to one, while Henrik led me to the other, pulling out a chair for me.

“Thanks,” I said, waiting as he sat down. He grabbed the bottle of wine and poured, then handed me a glass.

“Cheers.”

He took a sip, keeping his eyes on me over the glass.

“Thanks for coming on this date,” he said. “I’ve been really looking forward to getting to meet you one-on-one.”

“Oh, really? I didn’t think I was your type,” I winked.

He laughed. “Yeah, well, I was trying to keep my cards close to my chest. Didn’t want to stroke your ego too hard after Lucas already said he fancied you.”

“And yet you picked me for your first date instead of making me wait,” I said thoughtfully, tapping my finger on my lips. “Sounds like you just couldn’t wait to get me alone.”

“Oh, you’re good,” he laughed. “I proper love this cheeky side to you.”

“So is it weird coming in here and meeting people you’ve been watching on TV?”

“Yeah, it’s crazy! You’re like, already a celebrity to me.”

“I don’t feel like one,” I said. “But I guess that’s because we’re so isolated in here. It’s just all chats, challenges, and grafting, all day long.”

“You’ve all had a few days to get to know each other already. Us new guys are really gonna have to bring it,” he said.

“That’s not how I see it. You guys are the most interesting people in the villa right now, everyone wants to get to know you. Besides, I don’t think any of the current couples are really settled yet, so if anything it’s the other guys that will have to put in the extra work.”

He smiled. “You girls still have the power, though. I’ve got to impress someone if I want to stick around.”

“Alright,” I smirked, sitting back in my chair and holding eye contact. “Impress me.”

He grinned. “Do you want me to pull out some party tricks, or…”

I laughed. “I said impress me, not scare me off. Tell me about yourself. Where are you from?”

“Sweden originally,” he said, “but Isle of Wight currently.”

We spent the rest of the date taking turns asking questions. I glanced over at the other table a few times to see Lucas and Hope deep in conversation, both looking like they were enjoying themselves.

_He’d better not be enjoying himself too much._

“… But the best thing of all is to get home afterwards, you know? Log fire, cashmere blanket, two cups of cocoa…”

“That sounds dreamy,” I smiled, turning my attention back towards Henrik. “Like a log cabin in the middle of a forest during a snowstorm. Bliss.”

“Especially if the company is good,” he winked. “Anyway, I could talk about this all day, but I think we’re basically out of time.”

We stood, and he came over to give me a kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks again for coming. I really enjoyed talking to you.”

“Thanks for inviting me,” I said, smiling up at him. I turned and joined Hope as we walked back to the Jeep that would return us to the villa.

“Well?” she asked. “How did your date go?”

“Really good,” I said. “I wasn’t sure what to expect but he seems like a great guy. What about yours?”

“Oh my god, I’ve never met anyone who speaks as posh as he does. It’s amazing…”

“Oh, really?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, but otherwise it was just fine. He’s a good-looking guy, but I got a bit bored.”

“I thought it looked like you were having a great time.”

“Well, I was being polite. I didn’t want him to feel bad.”

_Girl, I’ve got eyes. You were being more than just polite._

We spent the rest of the short car ride in relative silence. As we rolled back into the villa driveway, another Jeep drove out in the other direction.

“Oh, that must be their next dates. I wonder who each guy picked?”

We walked into the villa and went outside to find the others. As Hope spotted Noah and started in his direction, Bobby ran up to me.

“Josie!”

“Hey! Do you know who else went on dates? We saw the Jeep leaving as we were coming back in.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’m working on something else, though.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Pranks!” He beamed. “Think about it. Two of the boys are out of the villa, and the others are restless and in the gym. Half the girls are out on dates, the other half are getting ready. It’s perfect!”

“Don’t you want to know how my date went?”

“You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it – but time is of the essence, so come help me!”

He grabbed my hand and pulled me back into the villa.

“Did— did you just quote ‘Pride and Prejudice’?” I asked as he led me up to the dressing room.

He turned and grinned. “Nice catch, but we have more important things to discuss.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, but we’re revisiting that discussion. So what sort of prank did you have in mind?”

“Alright, it’s not the greatest, but here’s my idea. I’m going to take all of Lucas’s clothes, and all of Henrik’s clothes, and mix them up. That way, when they get changed later, they’ll end up wearing each other’s clothes!”

I stared at him. “That’s all you’ve got? They’re going to take one look at their cupboards and know it’s not their own clothing.”

“Look, I’m working under a tight time pressure, okay?” He sighed and sat on one of the vanity seats.

I sat down next to him. “I’ll help you, but we have to come up with something better than that.” I put my elbows on the vanity and rested my chin in my hand as I tried to come up with something. “Hm… you could bake cookies with salt instead of sugar.”

His head snapped up and he gasped. “Josie! How could you even suggest such a thing? I take pride in baking my beautiful creations, I couldn’t possibly sabotage them on purpose! The baked goods are _strictly_ off-limits in pranks.”

“Wait, this from the guy who told us he baked a cake ‘in his image’?” I raised an eyebrow.

“That’s different, at least it tasted good!”

“Oh, I’m sure it did,” I smirked, and he grinned.

“Salt, though… you may be on to something, there,” he sat back and stroked his chin, then brightened. “I know, we could put it in their water bottles!”

“There you go, that’s way better than switching their clothes around! And with Henrik and Lucas out of the villa, their water bottles are probably lying around somewhere so it’d be easy enough to do without them noticing.”

We stood, and he pulled me into a hug. “What a foot,” he said.

“A foot?”

“You know, a foot? A leg-end? A legend…”

I rolled my eyes and was about to respond when my phone dinged. I read it with a smile.

“‘Josie, Lucas has invited you on his final date of the day. Please get ready to leave the villa.’”

“Wait, you’ve got another date with one of these new guys? Oh. Wow, go you!”

I smiled. “Thanks, B! I’m just going to refresh my makeup, but good luck with the prank. I can’t wait to see their reactions.”

“Right. Cool, well, have fun then.”

He left the dressing room and I touched up my hair and makeup quickly, then headed outside to the waiting Jeep. When I reached the gardens I noticed Priya sitting with Henrik, and Lucas sitting alone at his table waiting for me.

When he saw me approach he smiled and stood to give me a hug, then pulled a chair out for me.

“Hey, how’re you doing?” he asked as I sat and he smoothly pushed the chair in.

“I’m good, thanks.”

He returned to his seat and poured me a glass of wine, then waved his hand at the immaculate gardens and nearby fountain. “This place is amazing, right?”

“Yeah, it’s beautiful,” I said, looking around me at the lush surroundings.“I love Spanish gardens.”

“The view’s pretty good, too,” he smirked.

I looked back at him in confusion. “What view?”

“This one right here,” he gestured towards me with his glass, and the blood rushed to my cheeks at the realization he was talking about me. “So are you happy I picked you to come on this date?”

_Um, hell yes._

“I’m really happy. This is exactly where I want to be right now.”

_Geez, Josie, just fall at his feet, why don’t you?_

“Great!” He smiled. “I still can’t get over actually being out here.”

“I reckon you’ll get used to it pretty quickly. A day of sitting by the pool and you’ll just think you’re on vacation.”

“Right. So how are things going in the villa for you right now? I know you’re in a bit of a weird situation being coupled up with Rocco… how are things going with Gary?”

“Wow, you ask the big questions,” I said, leaning back in my chair with my eyebrows slightly raised.

He smiled. “Well I figured it would be good to get an idea where things stand right now. I’m not really here to step on anyone’s toes, but if things aren’t settled then that’s a different story.”

I fiddled with the stem of my glass. “Nothing’s settled… I mean we’ve had a few chats, and obviously you’ve seen that we’ve had a couple kisses, but nothing’s out in the open or anything. It’s not like we’re together, officially or unofficially. We’re just seeing how things go until the next recoupling.”

“I see,” he said, the corners of his lips turning up into a small smile. “So you’re saying there’s a chance for me.”

_A chance for HIM to get with ME? Play it cool, Josie, play it cool._

“Well,” I smiled coyly, “I’d have to get to know you better first.”

His smile turned into a full-fledged grin. “What do you want to know?”

“Let’s start with the easy stuff. You mentioned this morning you like to row – is that just for leisure, or competitive?”

“I’ve done my fair share of competitive rowing, but that was mostly in school. It’s a big commitment, so since starting work I’ve toned it down to just doing it for pleasure. A nice row in a one- or two-person boat on a beautiful day is great. Especially in Cumbria, the views there are just breathtaking.”

“That sounds so romantic!”

“It does, doesn’t it?” He smiled. “Although to be honest, it’s something I’ve always just done alone or with my mates. It’s a little less romantic with a bunch of sweaty guys.”

I laughed. “Yeah, when you put it that way it doesn’t quite evoke the same feelings, does it? Okay, let me ask you another one.”

We conversed comfortably for a while, his intense gaze, posh accent, and easy chat making him even more attractive to me.

“Here’s a question for you,” he said, leaning forward to put his elbows on the table. “When you think about the person you want to end up with, what kind of mental image do you get?”

“How do you mean?” I asked.

“Well, like… where do you imagine them? At a glamorous party? Doing some outdoorsy activity? In bed?”

“That’s an interesting question. Why do you ask?”

“Answer it first, and I’ll tell you why afterwards.” He leaned back again into his chair, maintaining eye contact.

“Okay,” I said, considering my response. “Let’s see, I would have to say… on my couch at home. Just hanging out and being with them.”

“Interesting,” he responded with a slight smile.

“So what does it mean?”

“It’s something a mate of mine said to me once. He said that you can tell if you’re compatible with a person by how you picture your ideal partner. Like, let’s say one person thinks about their future partner and imagines a quiet walk on a beach, but another person imagines theirs in an Ibiza superclub. Those two people probably aren’t going to get along in the long term.”

“That makes sense. So what do you imagine?”

“I… I think I’ll keep that to myself for now.”

I laughed. “That’s not fair! Now you know if we’re compatible, and I don’t!”

“Well, I need to hang on to a little bit of mystery, don’t I?” His phone chimed. “Ah, looks like our time’s up.”

We stood up and he walked over to my side of the table. Seeing Henrik and Priya already heading towards the Jeeps, I started to follow them. Lucas grabbed my wrist to stop me, and I turned to him questioningly. His dark brown eyes gazed into mine as he took a step towards me, and I felt his other hand as he brought it to rest on my waist.

_Is he going to kiss me? Please tell me he’s going to kiss me._

He lowered his head slowly, then a mischievous smile crossed his face as his lips moved away from mine and gave me a quick peck on the cheek instead. He lifted his head and released my waist, lowering the hand that still held my wrist to take hold of my hand instead, intertwining his fingers with mine.

“I’m so going to get you for that,” I said, allowing him to lead me to the Jeeps.

“Oh, I hope you do,” he whispered into my ear, and I felt my cheeks burn.

When we returned to the villa, the girls pulled Priya and me to the daybeds to debrief, while the guys gathered around Henrik and Lucas at the firepit.

“So, who else went on dates?” I asked.

“Henrik took you, me, and Priya,” Lottie said, “and Lucas took Hope, Priya, and you.”

“Looks like Josie and Priya are the order of the day,” Hope said.

I turned to Marisol. “What, neither of them asked you?”

She shrugged. “No, I’ve had a pretty quiet day. It wasn’t all bad, though, I got all the other boys to myself for a while.”

“I hope they doted on you like a princess, at least.”

She smirked. “There might’ve been a bit of that. So, what do you girls all think about the new boys?”

“Henrik is a bit of me. No doubt,” Priya said.

Lottie nodded. “I’m not really into this whole wilderness-man thing he’s got going on, but the boy is a looker! I enjoyed the date more than I expected I would. What about you, Josie?”

“Our date was really good,” I said. “He seems like a lot of fun, he should be a good addition to the villa.”

“No spark there, then?” Priya asked.

I shrugged. “Another time, maybe there would be. But to be honest I spent half the date trying to stop my eyes from wandering over to where Lucas was sitting. Now, _he’s_ a bit of me!”

“Ooh, amazing!” Priya said excitedly. “I thought he was sweet, but not my type overall. You two would make such a cute couple, though!”

I blushed. “Thanks, Pri. I’m definitely going to get to know him and see where things go.”

Just then there was a commotion at the firepit, causing us all to look over.

“Did someone get a text?” Marisol asked hopefully.

Henrik and Lucas were sputtering, their water bottles rolling on the ground. Bobby was doubled over in laughter, while the rest of the boys looked confused.

I grinned. “Nah, just the first point scored by Team Bobsie!”

The girls looked at me strangely. “Team Bobsie?” Marisol asked, eyebrows raised. “You have a couple name with the guy _I’m_ coupled up with?”

I waved a hand in dismissal. “I just helped him with a prank, that’s all. He put salt in the new guys’ water bottles while they were out. Damn, it’s too bad I wasn’t there to see them drink it!”

*********

“The looks on their faces were golden, Jos,” Bobby said later that afternoon while hanging out in the girls’ dressing room. “I wish you could’ve seen it!”

“Same! So much better than switching their clothes,” I winked at him, and he groaned.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right. You will be consulted on all future pranks!”

I smiled, and focused on curling my hair for the evening. Bobby started fiddling with the bottles on the vanity.

“What are all these for, anyway?”

I looked over. “It’s skincare, hun.”

“But like… why are there so many?”

I laughed. “It takes a lot of effort to keep our skin looking this good, especially here where we’re in the sun all day.”

He picked up a bottle from Priya’s caddy. “Can I try some?”

I looked at the bottle. “Maybe not that one… that’s worth about £150.”

He gasped and looked at me with wide eyes. “Are you bantering me?!”

“Nope,” I shook my head.

He gingerly replaced the bottle. “You girls are daft…”

The other girls started walking in to begin getting ready, and Bobby stood to leave.

_DING!_

“Ooh, I got a text!” Lottie said, looking up from her phone. “Bobby, go gather the others.”

He stepped out and soon returned with some of the other guys.

“‘Islanders, this evening you’ll be throwing a Welcome Party for the new boys. #welcometothevilla #getyourgrafton’”

“A party for us?” Henrik asked. “Amazing!”

“Alright guys,” Priya said, “give us some space so us girls can get ready for tonight.”

“We’ve got to make a good impression for the new boys, don’t we, Josie?” Lottie grinned.

**********

The villa had been transformed, with neon lights swirling around the lawn and music pumping from large speakers. Right away the islanders moved to the middle of the lawn and started dancing.

“Let’s get this party started!” Hope exclaimed, grabbing Noah’s hand and moving to the beat.

“Cocktail, anyone?” Priya asked as she headed over to the cocktail bar that had been set up in the kitchen.

Rahim followed her and together they started mixing cocktails, giggling as they worked.

_They’re actually kind of cute together…_

“What is that?” Lottie asked as she and I walked over a few minutes later.

“This, my friend, is called a Violet Man,” Rahim said proudly as he passed her a purple drink with a tomato slice in it.

“Violent Man? Do I really want to drink this?” she asked, staring into the glass.

“Violet Man!” Priya corrected. “It’s named after his favourite superhero. The tomato slice is his shield!”

“We want to welcome the new boys,” Lottie said, “not scare them off.”

“I’ll try it,” I said.

Rahim passed me a glass and I took a sip.

“Whoa. Has that got cayenne in it?”

“And a little tabasco sauce!”

“That’s pretty good, actually.” I took another sip, and Lottie followed my lead, nodding in approval.

Gary walked into the kitchen. “Is it just me, or does it all feel a little different tonight? Like the dynamics have changed.”

“Aww, are you worried about the new boys giving you some competition?” Lottie smirked and gave him a playful shove.

“To be honest? Yeah, kind of.” He glanced over at me, then quickly looked away. “What are you guys drinking? Can I get one?”

Priya handed him the purple concoction and he took a big sip. Almost immediately he choked and sputtered.

“Oh, damn, oh, ouch! What the hell did you put in there?!” His face started turning beet red. “Oh whoa. That’s hot!”

“Are you alright, Gary?” Priya asked, concerned.

“Where did I put my water bottle?” He walked away, coughing and waving at his mouth.

I chuckled and went to the fridge to pour a glass of milk. “I guess Gary can’t handle much spice, eh? This should sort him out.” I went to follow him, catching up to him by the daybeds as he tossed cushions aside.

“Where is that bloody thing?” He muttered to himself.

“Gary,” I called. “Gary!”

Finally he looked up at me and I held out the glass.

“Here, drink this.”

He looked at it suspiciously, then took it from my hands and sniffed it. Satisfied, he chugged it down.

“You alright?” I asked. “Here, come sit on the daybed. We haven’t had much opportunity to chat lately.”

He set the glass down and sat next to me, leaning against the pillows with his hands behind his head.

“So… what do you think of the new boys?” he asked, staring straight ahead.

“You’re worried, aren’t you.”

He sighed. “Well yeah, hard not to be when one says he’s interested in the bird I’m coupled up with, and the other says he’s interested in the bird I _want_ to be coupled up with.”

“Things aren’t great with Lottie, then?”

“She’s alright,” he shrugged, “but she’s not my type. And she said she’s trying to get away from going for guys like me, so it’s basically a non-starter. And now these last couple days… well, I don’t really know where I stand with you, either.”

I hesitated and looked over to where Lucas was dancing with some of the others.

“I’m not sure what to tell you, Gary. If there were a recoupling right now, I’d pick you. But I can’t deny my attraction to Lucas, so I’m definitely going to explore that possibility. I don’t want to see you in danger of being dumped, but in the end I can only do what’s right for me.”

I continued to watch the dancing, noticing Rocco and Marisol break off from the main group and head towards the pool.

“I keep daydreaming about our kiss,” Gary said.

“Oh?” I turned my attention back to him. “Which one?”

He grinned. “Both, really. The first one, mostly. I’m starting to think we won’t get to do it again.”

I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “You never know… this is Love Island, they could shock us with some surprising twist at any moment.”

He gazed at me. “I want to kiss you now.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He moved towards me until his face was close enough to feel his breath on my skin.

“Wait—” I put my hand on his chest to stop him. “We really shouldn’t. It’s bad enough that it’s already happened twice. It’s not fair to our partners.”

“Dammit,” he said as he sat back, running his fingers through his hair.

“C’mon,” I stood up, “let’s go join the others and dance out our frustrations.”

He got up and we walked over to the lawn to join the others.

“Teach me that move, Bobby!” Lucas said, as Bobby busted out some moves.

“Come dance with me, Josie!” Priya called out to me, holding out her hands. I quickly moved to join her and she spun me around.

We danced together for a few songs, then moved to join in with the rest of the group.

At some point, I found Lucas at my side.

“Fancy a chat?” he asked, and I smiled up at him as I nodded.

He took hold of my hand and led me to the roof terrace, where he sat facing me.

“So I see you’ve learned your way around the villa already,” I said. “I guess Gary’s guided tour was thorough.”

“It was. Although I have to admit I was disappointed that you weren’t there.”

I shrugged and gave him a cheeky smile. “I’ve been living here for a few days already, why would I need a tour?”

“I guess I was just thinking there would have been more to see on the tour than just the villa,” he smirked.

I blushed. “I’m sorry I missed it, then.”

“Well I had to make sure you got a second chance, that’s why I asked you up here.”

“Oh? So then are you going to ask Priya up here as well? If I remember correctly, she wasn’t part of the tour, either.”

The cheeky glint that had been in his eyes to that point disappeared, his gaze intently focused on me.

“Priya’s not the one I’m interested in.”

The heat rose to my cheeks even more intensely than before.

_Say something, Josie. Say something!_

“Um…”

_Is that really all you’ve got?_

He looked down at my hand, taking hold of it and rubbing his thumb across my skin.

“It’s weird coming in here when everyone’s already coupled up. I feel like it puts me in a bit of an awkward spot.”

“How so?”

“I don’t want my first move in the villa to be a snakey one, but you’re coupled up with Rocco…” He brought his gaze back up to meet mine.

I bit my lip. “I don’t care about Rocco. He and I have never been a thing.”

“You’re a dangerous woman, Josie.”

_Am I? I don’t feel dangerous._

“What, are you afraid you’re going to get burned?” I lifted a brow with a smirk.

“Something like that,” he grinned. He stood and pulled me to my feet, then lowered his head to whisper in my ear. “C’mon, let’s go get hot and heavy on the dance floor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, comments and kudos are appreciated! 💕


	11. Kiss and Tell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a little longer than my previous chapters, because there wasn't a natural place to break it into two. Going forward I'll be trying to fit whole days into one chapter (where possible), so chapters will be getting a little longer, and as a result updates will be less frequent. But we're getting into some fun stuff, so enjoy! 🥰

_DING!_

My head was pounding as I woke to the sound of my phone going off near my head. The lights in the room were still off so I groped about in the dark until finally my hand closed around my phone. Bringing it to my face I squinted as I struggled to read the screen.

‘Josie and Rocco, please make your way to the Beach Hut. #earlyrisers’

_You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me._

I rolled over and shook Rocco lightly. He didn’t stir. I shook him again, and there was still no response.

_Is this guy fucking hibernating or something?_

I grabbed my water bottle from the bedside table and unscrewed the lid, dumping its contents over his head.

He jumped and sat upright, and I clamped my hand over his mouth before he could make any noise. He turned to me with wide eyes and I removed my hand, holding up my phone.

“Shh, we’re wanted in the Beach Hut.” I strapped on my microphone and grabbed the blanket from the foot of our bed, wrapping it around myself as I stumbled up the stairs heading towards the beach hut.

_Ugh, whose stupid fucking idea was it to wake me up early the morning after a fucking party, just to make me spend time with a partner I don’t even fucking like? Fuckin’ eejit should be fired._

I sat on one end of the chair and waited for Rocco to join me. Finally he walked in, rubbing a towel against his wet hair.

“Was the water really necessary?” He grumbled, sitting stiffly on the other side of the chair.

“You were sleeping like the dead, and noise and light weren’t an option. Yes, the water was necessary.” I rolled my eyes, then turned to the screen as the display lit up.

**Two new boys have entered the Villa. What do you both think of Henrik?**

“He’s like… a sexy Viking, or mountain man,” I said with a smile. “And he’s really fun. I think he’s a great addition to the villa.”

Rocco scowled, but nodded. “Yeah, I reckon it’ll be good for us, having someone like that around.”

**And what do you think of Lucas?**

I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face even if I wanted to. “He’s gorgeous, for one… I think he’s quite intriguing. Great dancer, too!”

Rocco raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. “Yeah, I dunno. Haven’t really talked to the lad much yet. I’m not sure I vibe with him much.”

**How are you feeling in your couple?**

I laughed. “Couple? What couple? We share a bed and compete in challenges together, but we’ve never been on the same page as far as being a couple. I’m not sure we’re even friends, to be honest.”

He frowned. “I took a chance, and I won’t apologize for that. Obviously things aren’t ideal between us, but that’s nothing to do with me.”

**Is there someone else in the villa you’d rather be with?**

“Pretty much anyone else, I think.”

He glared at me. “Easy on the angry vibes, princess.”

I started counting on my fingers, and mouthing the names of the other male islanders. _Lucas, Henrik, Gary, Bobby, Noah, Rahim_ … I looked back up at the camera. “Yup, literally anyone else.”

“There’s no need for all this negativity. All I’ve done is be true to myself.” He got up and stormed out of the room.

I continued counting on my fingers, this time speaking out loud. “Priya, Lottie, Marisol, Hope…” I grinned. “Maybe I’m being too hard on him? But no seriously, all he had to do was have a fucking conversation with me and I would’ve told him I wasn’t interested, and I’d be with Gary right now. Although I wonder how I’d feel about Lucas if I were coupled up with Gary – it would be that much harder to hurt him if I cracked on with someone else. But on the other hand, at least then I’d have a better idea if Gary and I actually had something, and maybe I’d be happy sticking with him. Now I just don’t know, so I’m stuck in the middle. I guess all I can really do is crack on with them both, and see how things go.”

I left the beach hut and headed to the showers. When finished I rifled through my cupboard before finally settling on my smallest bikini, a stringy green one with a thong bottom.

_All eyes on me today, boys._

I headed downstairs to the bedroom to find that the boys were already outside, with the exception of Noah, who was still sleeping. The girls were sitting up in bed chatting, and they turned to look at me as I walked in.

“Stealing some hearts today, Josie?” Priya grinned.

“That’s the plan,” I winked, and crawled into her bed next to her.

“You’re up early,” Hope said. “Again.”

“Not by choice this time. I was rudely woken up by a text telling me and Rocco to go to the beach hut.”

“Ugh,” Lottie groaned. “That’s the worst.”

“Right? Couldn’t they have waited until we were up, at least? I swear they did it like that just to put me in a bad mood.”

“Is that why Rocco stormed through here like a hurricane?” Marisol asked. “He woke us all up.”

I grimaced. “I might’ve said some things… but let’s not talk about my problems.”

“We were talking about the new boys,” Priya said. “I thought I saw you and Lucas getting close at the party last night, hm?”

I blushed. “I’d like to get to know him better.”

“It looked like you were getting to know him pretty well, I thought.”

“Priya!” I laughed, grabbing a pillow from her bed and playfully hitting her with it.

“Me too,” Hope said. “I definitely got some good vibes from Lucas yesterday.”

_Um, what? That is not what you told me._

“With this many boys,” she continued, “it’s like, pick your favourite!”

_Seriously, what the hell?_

“What about Noah?” Marisol asked.

Hope shrugged. “We both know we’re here to have a good time. I’m just enjoying the eye candy!”

“Well, I definitely think my head could be turned,” Lottie said. “I think I’m going to chat to the boys today and try to work out what’s what. Maybe see if I can’t work my magic on one of them.”

“Whatever happens, today should be fun!”

*********

While the other girls got ready for the day, I threw on a pair of shorts and headed to the gym. Henrik was spotting Gary on the bench, so after my warmup I grabbed a free weight and began doing squats.

A few minutes later, Lottie came out and joined me.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you in the gym before today, Lottie,” I remarked.

“Maybe I just saw how good your butt looked in that thong bikini and decided I needed to get my own rear in gear?”

I laughed, then lowered my voice to a whisper. “Or maybe you were interested in checking out someone else’s butt?” I nodded my head towards Henrik, who had his back to us.

She smirked. “Could you really blame me?”

“Maybe we can get him to do squats with us, too.”

Finally Gary put the weights down, and Henrik turned to us.

“You girls ever do any climbing?”

I shook my head, but Lottie nodded.

“I’m not really into climbing, to be honest,” she said.

“No? What’s not to like? It’s a great couples activity. You can spend time together out in nature, and get a full-body workout at the same time.”

“My ex took me out once, and I don’t think I’ve ever been as sore as I was the next day. And not in a good way.”

“I’ve got a great homemade muscle ointment for that,” Henrik said. “Massaging each other afterwards is the best part about a day on the rocks.”

“When you put it that way,” I spoke up, “it sounds pretty interesting.”

Henrik grinned. “You seem like the outdoorsy type. I need to find someone who doesn’t mind getting a bit sweaty with me.”

Beside me, Lottie tried to stifle a giggle, while Gary choked.

“Mate, you don’t hold back, do you?”

Henrik looked confused. “What do you mean?”

“All that stuff about massaging people, and getting sweaty together? It’s like you just come out with that stuff without worrying about how it sounds.”

“I suppose I don’t,” Henrik grinned. “Now let me at that bench!”

They switched places, with Gary doing the spotting this time.

Lottie turned to me. “Looks like if we want their attention we’re going to have to work for it. Why don’t we try and see if we can turn their heads?”

“Sounds like fun,” I grinned. We put down our weights and settled on the ground with a view of the bench.

She cleared her throat. “What do you think, Josie? Which of these two is fitter?”

“It’s close, but it’s got to be Gary for me. Did you see the way his muscles were bulging earlier?”

Gary grinned, but kept his attention on Henrik.

Lottie’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know if I could choose between them. I can’t stop imagining all the things we could do together. A romantic evening hanging out by the docks… camping in the woods freezing our bits off… I’m just such an outdoors and heavy machinery kind of girl. The thought of it gets me so hot and bothered…”

The boys were desperately trying not to laugh.

I sucked on the straw in my water bottle, then released it from my mouth with a ‘pop.’ “Watching these two work out makes me want to DIY myself.”

Lottie threw her head back in laughter, while the guys completely lost it, Henrik letting the weights fall to the ground.

“Oh my days, Josie!” Gary laughed.

I turned to Lottie and gave her a high five. “We did it, babe.”

“Well played, girls,” Henrik smiled at us. “Well played.”

I grinned, and stood up. “Well, looks like I need a refill, so I’m going to leave you guys to it. Go easy on them, Lottie.”

I took a detour into the villa to ditch my workout shorts, then headed to the kitchen, where I found Bobby and Rahim speaking in hushed tones. Rahim fell silent as I passed him.

“Sorry, I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” I said, kneeling over the water cooler to fill my water bottle.

“It’s nothing,” Rahim replied.

“Actually, Josie,” Bobby said, “maybe we could get your opinion on something.”

“Mate…” Rahim looked at him, but Bobby waved him off.

“Nah man, it’s okay, she helped me with the saltwater thing yesterday.”

I straightened and screwed the lid back onto the bottle. “Another prank?”

“Yeah! So, now these new guys have come in, we thought it would be funny if we came up with some ridiculous word and pretended we all knew what it meant.”

Rahim cut in. “If a few of us start using it, I bet we can get Lucas and Henrik saying it all the time.”

“That sounds like it could be really funny, actually. I’m impressed.”

Bobby grinned. “Great! Right now we can’t decide on a word. We’re stuck between ‘succulent,’ ‘ice robot,’ and ‘sportswear.’”

“Interesting. So what are they supposed to mean?”

Bobby turned to Rahim, who explained. “So succulents are those plants that are like cactuses, but they’re not spiky. If something is really good and not spiky, you could be like…”

“That’s so succulent,” Bobby finished.

“You realize that succulent is already a word though, right?” I asked.

“Huh?”

“Yeah, it’s like if you cook up a steak and it’s really juicy and tasty, it’s succulent.”

“Oh. Guess that one’s out of the running then.”

“So what are the others?”

“Ice Robot is one of the heroes in my favourite comic book,” Rahim said. “So if something is really chill, you could say ‘that’s so ice robot.’ And then sports are great, and if something is really good you want to get it on a t-shirt. So if something is really, really good, you could be like…”

“That’s well sportswear,” Bobby said.

“So which one do you like better?” They looked at me expectantly.

“Definitely sportswear. I’d get it on a t-shirt.”

Bobby grinned. “You’ve got it down pat already.”

“Good luck!” I smiled as I left them to their scheming.

I spotted Priya and Lucas lounging by the pool and headed over to join them. I was already halfway there by the time Lucas shifted and I saw Rocco was with them.

_Shit! I’m committed, too late to turn back now. Please, someone call out to me and give me a reason to turn around and walk away, please… no? Nobody?_

“Hey,” I said quietly to Priya as I sat beside her.

“Listen to this,” she whispered.

“I guess I’m not so much about the ‘spiritual journey’ when I travel,” Lucas was saying. “I’d rather know I was helping people.”

“You don’t have to travel,” Rocco said. “With tools like meditation, you can take a spiritual journey without even leaving your house.”

_What have I walked into?_

“I’ve always wanted to join Doctors Without Borders. I don’t think there’s something called ‘Doctors Crossing the Astral Plane.’”

I giggled, and Lucas looked over.

“Oh, hi Josie,” he smiled. “I didn’t see you come over.”

Rocco frowned when he noticed me sitting there.

_I should probably apologize for this morning, or things are going to be pretty awkward around here._

“Lucas was just telling us all about his plans to travel and help people around the world,” Priya said, giving me a nudge with her elbow.

I turned to Lucas with a flirtatious smile. “You want to help people in other countries? That’s so selfless of you.”

“Rocco thinks his food truck is the same thing,” Lucas smirked.

“Motorbike or food truck, what’s the difference?” Rocco crossed his arms.

“You have a motorbike?”

“Sure do,” he grinned. “I’d love to take you for a ride sometime, if you’re up for that.”

I raised an eyebrow and bit my lip. “I think I like the sound of that.”

Rocco grunted and stood up. “I’ll see you guys in a bit.” He walked off quickly.

“Wait, Rocco!” I got up and ran after him, grabbing his arm to stop him.

He spun around and looked at me angrily. “Haven’t you said enough?”

“I… I wanted to apologize. For this morning. Look, I was hungover, I wasn’t in a good mood, and I said some things I probably shouldn’t have. We still have to live together, and I don’t want this making things awkward for everyone. So, I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, whatever.” He turned and stalked off.

_Asshole._

**********

“I’ve got a text!” Hope shouted from the daybeds. “‘Islanders – it’s time to find out who’s been naughty, and who can keep their mouth shut in today’s challenge: Kiss and Tell #getlippy #mouthingoff’”

“What do you think that means?” Marisol asked.

“Sounds like we’re going to be doing some kissing…” Priya grinned.

Bobby threw his arms around Gary from behind and puckered his lips. “Kiss me, Gaz!”

“Oi! Get off me, mate!” Gary tried to shrug him off, but Bobby held on as they started wrestling with each other on the lawn.

“Yes! I love kissing!” I exclaimed, sneaking a peak over at Lucas.

He caught my eye and raised an eyebrow. “Oh really,” he mouthed, then smirked as I blushed.

“I’m totally looking forward to it,” Henrik said. “I love a challenge! No better way to get to know you all than to get up close and personal.”

“You boys all better brush your teeth if you want us kissing you,” Lottie said, narrowing her eyes as she pointed her index finger at the boys. She turned to Gary and Bobby and clapped her hands. “Hey! You two! Quit horsing around and go get ready!”

Bobby jumped up off the ground and ran off toward the villa, Gary chasing close behind.

Twenty minutes later, we were on the challenge platform, where rows of question marks were laid on either side of the stage, and a blackboard displayed “Boys” and “Girls” columns.

“I guess it’s a boys versus girls challenge,” Rocco said.

“Mate, we could use someone as smart as you down at the docks,” Gary laughed. “I don’t think I could have figured that out by myself.”

Hope read the instructions: “‘Islanders, in your teams you will have to decide which person you think ‘did the deed’ in a scenario drawn from a deck of cards. Then one of the team members must kiss the person on the opposite team who you think is the answer. Every correct answer earns the team a point. The winning team will get cocktails this evening!’”

“So we read something on a card and then decide who we want to kiss?” Rocco asked. “Is there any reason why we shouldn’t just kiss whoever we want?”

“Yeah, because then you won’t get the points,” Gary replied.

“So I can either play to win, or I can use this as a chance to kiss some people?”

“Mate, it’s a team challenge. We want to win!”

“There’s no reason why you shouldn’t just kiss who you want, Rocco,” Marisol smiled at him.

_Oh, really? Is she hoping for some kisses from him? Be my guest._

“Yes, there is,” Lottie said. “It’s a competition! I want to win fairly, not because some people just kiss whoever they fancy instead of trying to answer correctly.”

“I’m with Lottie on this one,” I said. “I want those cocktails! Just a warning though, if I get a chance to kiss someone I fancy, I’m not holding back.” I grinned.

Priya giggled. “Watch out for this one, ladies, she’s coming for our men!”

“You know it, babe,” I winked.

“Okay, everyone take your places,” Hope said.

_Yes, mum._

We each moved to stand on one of the question marks, girls on one side and boys on the other. Hope drew the first card.

_As always, Hope putting herself first._

“Okay, I have to find… ‘The boy who spent more than £500 on a first date.’” She turned to the girls to discuss. “Gotta be Lucas, right? He’s so obviously loaded.”

 _You just want an excuse to kiss him, but we’ll see about that_.

“That doesn’t mean he’d be shelling out,” I said. “I mean, he sounds posh, but he tries to downplay it whenever it comes up. I don’t think he’s the type to use his money to try to impress someone.”

“You’re right,” Priya said. “Rocco, on the other hand, would remortgage his van if he thought he could impress a girl.”

“Does anyone else think it could be Rahim?” Marisol asked.

I nodded. “You could be right. He doesn’t have the chat, so I could definitely see him trying to impress in other ways. And he’s an athlete, so he could probably afford it.”

The other girls agreed.

“Well I guess if that’s what you all think, that’s what I’m gonna do,” Hope said. She walked over to Rahim and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

“Really putting it out there, Hope!” Bobby grinned. “C’mon, let’s heat things up!”

“You’re right, it was me,” Rahim said bashfully. “I just like to make sure people have a good time…”

Gary drew the next card and laughed. “Okay, ‘This girl left her boyfriend in the middle of sex to comfort a friend who had been stood up on a blind date.’ Wow, sucks to be that guy.”

After some discussion with the guys, Gary turned to us. He gave me a brief apologetic smile before heading towards Lottie, kissing her full on the lips. Their kiss lasted a few seconds before he pulled away.

_Whatever. They’re coupled up, it would be muggy if he didn’t put some effort into it._

“Woo!” Bobby pumped his fist. “That’s better, let’s keep ramping it up! Anyway, was he right?”

Lottie nodded, smiling.

“Yes! Score one for the boys!”

Lottie was the next to go, kissing Henrik but getting the answer wrong. Then Noah took a turn and correctly kissed Hope, putting the boys in the lead.

“Josie’s next… your challenge is to find the boy who’s had the most sexual partners.”

I smirked, already knowing the answer, but the girls were eager to discuss it so I turned to them.

“This is the one we’ve been waiting for!” Lottie said. “What do you girls think?”

“It’s gotta be Rocco,” Priya said confidently, Hope and Lottie nodding in agreement.

“What?” Marisol frowned. “I don’t think we should judge Rocco just for the way he comes across. I think he cares more about deep, meaningful connections than just sticking it on any girl he fancies.”

_And what would you know about that, exactly?_

“I actually don’t think it’s him,” I said. “I think it’s Gary.”

_Actually I know it is, unless Lucas or Henrik have more, but the girls don’t need to know that I’ve been holding out on them._

“You could be right,” Lottie said thoughtfully. “He’s got the looks for it, and we know he likes going out a lot. And he’s a good kisser,” she blushed.

Priya nodded. “Yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s had a bunch of one-night stands.”

“I still think you should go with Rocco,” Hope said, “but it’s your call.”

“C’mon Josie, we’re waiting,” Bobby called, puckering his lips for a kiss. “We all know it’s me.”

I smiled as I rolled my eyes at him, then headed straight for him. “Oh, yeah? You want some of this?” I pointed to my lips, then cupped his cheek. His amber eyes sparkled as he grinned like a Cheshire cat.

“What is she doing?” One of the girls whispered.

I removed my hand from Bobby’s cheek and gave him a cheeky smirk over my shoulder as I walked over to Gary, grabbing his face and bringing it down to meet mine in a full-on snog. My hands moved away from his face as my arms encircled his neck, the kiss deepening as we moved closer together.

“She’s wild! I love it!” I heard Bobby saying.

“Are you kidding me, Josie?” Lottie’s voice sounded annoyed, and my eyes opened as I reluctantly pulled away. The boys started clapping and cheering.

“That was totally sportswear, right?” Henrik grinned.

Bobby shook his head. “You’re still not using that right, mate.”

I turned back to my mark, shrugging at Lottie as she glared at me. “I did say…”

She huffed, cutting me off. “You didn’t have to go that far.”

“It’s just a fun challenge, babe.”

“So, was she right?” Hope asked, standing at the blackboard.

“I’m not usually one to boast about this, but… yeah, all the lads know it’s me,” Gary said.

“Yeah, this guy has some serious numbers!” Bobby clapped him on the back.

Hope placed a mark in the ‘Girls’ column. “Well played, Josie.”

Henrik kissed Priya on his turn, then Priya kissed Noah. Both were incorrect.

“Lucas, your challenge is to find… the girl who’s a member of the mile-high club.” Hope’s eyebrows rose slightly as she read the card, but she quickly covered up the movement by putting on a winning smile.

_She totally wants him to kiss her._

I looked over at Lucas to find his eyes on me, before he turned to confer with the other boys. They briefly huddled together before returning to their spots while Lucas strolled over to where the girls stood, walking slowly in front of each girl until he got to me. He stopped, and I looked up to meet his gaze.

“Do you really think it’s me?”

“Doesn’t matter to me either way,” he replied, soft enough that only I could hear.

He finally lowered his head, lightly pressing his lips against mine. I tried to deepen the kiss but he threaded his fingers into my hair and held my head back, teasingly brushing his tongue against my lips. All too soon his mouth was gone, and his hands detangled themselves from my hair as he stepped away. I opened my eyes to see his own laughing back at me.

_Damn tease._

“Was he right?” Priya elbowed me with a grin.

“Yeah… yeah, it’s me,” I answered, and the boys erupted in cheers, having taken the lead on the scoreboard. Lucas grinned and turned to walk back to his marker, high-fiving Gary and Noah as he went.

“Story, please!” Priya begged.

“I think… I think I’m going to keep that one to myself for the time being,” I smiled coyly, glancing at Lucas to see him smirking back at me. “Gotta keep a little mystery, right?”

“Aw, you’re no fun!”

“On the contrary,” I winked at Priya, “I’m _so_ fun!”

She laughed at me, shaking her head. “I’ll get the story out of you someday, just you wait.”

Hope cleared her throat. “Moving on… Marisol, it’s your turn. You need to find the boy who gets a back, sack, and crack wax every month.”

Lottie giggled. “I’m glad one of you is suffering to stay beautiful.”

The girls huddled together.

“We can rule out Rocco and Henrik for sure,” Priya said. “They’re both all about that rugged lifestyle.”

Priya nodded. “I’m definitely not seeing those boys in a salon anytime soon.”

“Agreed. And I know it’s not Noah,” Hope said.

_Ew, TMI._

“So that leaves Lucas, Rahim, Bobby, and Gary,” I said. “Probably not Gary, either.”

“I could see it being any of those three,” Lottie agreed, and turned to Marisol. “It’s up to you which one.”

Marisol stood looking thoughtfully at the boys, then shrugged her shoulders and headed straight for Rocco. He looked surprised but pleased as she rose onto her tiptoes and planted her lips firmly on his.

“Um… didn’t we just say it definitely wouldn’t be Rocco?” Lottie asked.

Marisol shrugged. “It’s just a fun challenge.”

“Yeah, but the point is to try to win,” Hope said. “We’re one behind, and you just wasted a chance to tie it.”

“Shall we just move on?” I asked. “I think it’s Rocco’s turn next.”

Hope opened the card and laughed. “Okay, Rocco, kiss the girl you think got arrested during a family holiday.”

Without even conferring with the other boys, Rocco walked straight up to Marisol and leaned in, kissing her hard and wrapping his arms around her waist. Her hands slid over his chest and around his neck as she responded in kind, pushing her body against his. The rest of us watched on in shock as they snogged passionately, going far beyond what any of the rest of us had done on our turns.

“These two are just using the challenge to get off with each other,” Lottie said in disgust.

I looked over at Bobby, but he just watched them with an unreadable expression on his face.

The pair finally separated, and Marisol looked over at me with flushed cheeks. I raised an eyebrow and she looked away quickly.

_Well that was interesting._

“That was wrong, by the way,” Hope said, “and there’s four cards left, with the outcome still in doubt. Bobby and Rahim still have to take their turns, and two girls will get to take a second turn. Who wants another go?”

The girls looked around at each other.

“I’ll do one,” Priya volunteered. “Who else?”

“Josie, you do it,” Lottie said. “Since it was your man that just snaked you.”

“I’m not upset, guys. I haven’t exactly given Rocco any reason to be loyal to me.”

“All the same, I think you should.”

I shrugged. “I’m game.”

Bobby and Rahim took their turns first, Bobby kissing Hope on the cheek and Rahim kissing Priya. Both were incorrect, leaving the girls with a chance to win. On her turn Priya kissed Lucas, and that too was incorrect.

“It’s up to you to tie it, Josie,” Hope said, opening the last card. “You have to find the boy who… got caught having sex by his mom when she walked into his room to collect his laundry. Oh my!”

I laughed, then turned to the girls.

“I supposed it could be any of these guys, really,” Lottie said. “But if you ask me, you should kiss Bobby.”

“Why, because he’s my partner?” Marisol asked angrily. “Is that why you wanted Josie to take another turn? Are you already forgetting the way she kissed _your_ partner?”

“At least she got the answer right,” Lottie snapped back. “And it was still nothing compared to what you and Rocco did.”

Marisol rolled her eyes.

“Just go for it, Josie,” Hope said. “After what we’ve seen, I don’t think much is going to surprise me anymore.”

I looked over at the boys, who were waiting patiently for my decision. Lucas kept his gaze steady on me, as if daring me to kiss him. My eyes moved down the row at each boy in turn, their stoic faces not giving anything away, before finally landing on Bobby. He was looking down at the ground and his cheeks had a slight pink tinge to them.

_It’s definitely him._

I took a deep breath and exhaled, then walked over to stand in front of him. I lifted his chin with my finger, and he finally raised his eyes to meet mine. The cheeky sparkle that had been there previously was gone, and I hesitated.

_Marisol did that to him._

I lifted my lips to his gently, waiting for him to respond, but he didn’t. Just as I was about to pull away he finally kissed me back, dipping his head to keep his mouth in contact with mine. I found my arms moving upwards to reach around him, fingers threading into his hair as I pulled his head down further to deepen the kiss, tasting sugar on his lips. His arms encircled my waist and his tongue found mine, darting slowly before swirling and exploring my mouth. He hooked my upper lip with his tongue and gently tugged on it with his teeth, and I lost myself in the heat of the moment, closing the remaining space between our bodies.

Finally I came to my senses again and pulled away, placing a hand on his arm to steady myself.

_Holy shit. That was…._

“Completely sportswear,” Henrik chuckled.

 _I’m not quite sure I could put it on a t-shirt, but it_ was _really good…_

I squeezed Bobby’s arm where I still held it, then released him and turned to the girls. Marisol stood with her arms crossed, while Lottie just smirked.

“Was she right, Bobby?” Hope asked.

He hesitated, then nodded, his face turning pink again.

Hope gave me a triumphant look. “Thanks to Josie, the challenge is tied! Although unfortunately there are no more cards, so there’s no tiebreaker.”

My phone beeped. “‘Congratulations, islanders! As the challenge is a tie, both teams will be rewarded with a cocktail party this evening!’”

“Yes!”

*********

I needed to cool off, so when we returned to the villa I jumped in the pool and swam a few lengths. Marisol and Rocco kissing each other hadn’t surprised me, but Bobby’s kiss certainly had.

_He never kissed me like that when we were coupled up. Although to be fair, it was the first couple days in here, and we were basically strangers. Still, it was nice… a lot nicer than expected._

After my swim I received a text telling me to go to the Beach Hut, where I was asked to talk about my reactions to the challenge. I said what I needed to say and headed back outside. Priya waved me over to the daybeds where she and Hope were talking, so I went to join them.

“Josie!” Hope said, “I’m so glad you’re here. I was worried about everything that happened this afternoon.”

_Really? Because during the challenge you seemed more worried about playing the host and keeping score than what people were feeling._

I shrugged, then lowered myself onto the bed. “Maybe you’re overreacting a bit? It was just a couple kisses in a challenge.”

“Was it, though? Priya and I were just talking, and I think this thing with Rocco and Marisol is bigger than what happened today.”

“It was weird when they kissed twice today, right?” Priya asked. “It was like they both knew what to do without even thinking.”

“Yeah, I had a feeling she was into him a bit,” I said.

Hope looked a little disappointed at my reaction. “Anyway, he came to chat to me as soon as the new boys arrived. About how he wanted to recouple and stuff. I knew you weren’t feeling it with him, so I didn’t think much of it at first.”

“He talked to me, too, but I said I was happy with Rahim for now. I bet he would have pushed it further if he thought there was a chance with either of us.”

“So what are you saying?” I shifted onto my stomach, facing them.

“We think he must have started chatting to all the girls after Lucas and Henrik came in,” Priya responded. “We all came in here to find love, but it seems like he’s just been playing a game.”

“We haven’t talked to Marisol yet, but if she’s going behind everyone’s backs, that’s pretty snakey.”

“Do you think she did?” I asked. “I couldn’t tell from Bobby’s face if he knew what was going on, but he was certainly acting differently afterwards. Like, he was cheering everyone on at first, and then that happened and he just… stopped.”

Hope nodded. “Yeah, he kissed me on the cheek, not even the lips. He must’ve been gobsmacked. I didn’t realize he liked her, I thought they were just a friendship couple.”

_Same here. I guess things changed for him?_

“Anyway, she probably doesn’t know that Rocco’s been chatting up all the girls. What do you think, Josie?”

I frowned. “Honestly, if she actually likes him, I have no problem with that. If you think someone should tell her that she’s not the only one Rocco’s talked to, then go ahead – but if she’s hurt Bobby, then I’m not particularly interested in talking to her right now.”

“Right,” Hope nodded. “Well, we’re having cocktails with the girls tonight, so I think that will be a good time to catch up and see what’s going on.”

_Great. Can’t wait._

*********

“I reckon it would be great on a date as well, if you had the right person.”

I was lying on one of the daybeds that evening, waiting for the other girls to finish getting ready for our cocktail party. Henrik and Rahim were sitting on beanbags not far from me, and I could overhear them from where I sat.

“Of course. It’ll be a bit harder because it will basically always be rough, but if you’re both up for it…”

_Um… what are they talking about?_

“Most people are going to be into getting dirty anyway if they’re doing it. And then if you get it in the hole, you’ve scored?”

_Oh my god, I’ve got to see what they’re on about._

“Absolutely.”

I got up and walked over to where they sat, grabbing another beanbag and dropping down beside them.

“Hey, guys. What’s going on?”

“Oh, hey!” Henrik smiled at me. “You’re just the person we need to talk to.”

_I am? Okay now I’m scared._

“Do you want to hear about this new sport we’ve invented?”

“A sport? Is it… sexual?”

“What? No!” Rahim’s eyes widened in shock. “Why would you think that?”

“Oh, because I overheard you guys talking about doing something on a date that was rough, dirty, and you score if you get it in the hole, so, you know…” I smirked. “It got me interested, so I came to investigate.”

Henrik laughed. “It’s called Adventure Golf! We’re just figuring out the rules and stuff.”

“Yeah, we were talking about how we both have jobs in sports and we thought, why not combine them?”

“All the fun of orienteering, all the danger of rock climbing, and all the excitement of golf!”

_Golf… exciting?_

“It’s the perfect sport,” Rahim said.

“Yeah, it’s totally sportswear,” Henrik grinned, and I stifled a laugh.

“So what did you need me for?”

“Do you think it’s a good idea? Is it something you’d do on a date?”

“GUYS I GOT A TEXT!!”

“Holy shit, was that Noah? I didn’t realize he could be so loud!”

“That must be about the cocktail parties,” I said, jumping up to my feet. “Sorry guys, we’ll have to discuss the merits of Adventure Golf dates later.”

I went up to the rooftop terrace to join the girls while the boys gathered in the kitchen. Hope was already pouring the drinks when I stepped outside, and she looked up and smiled at me.

“There you are, Josie!” She handed me a glass filled with purple liquid. “This is so nice. I’m so glad we could all spend time together, just us girls.”

“Obviously we need to clear the air a bit,” Priya said. She turned to Marisol. “Hope talked to you, right?”

Marisol nodded. “It seems like a lot of you are disappointed in the way I acted today. But it was just a challenge…”

“Hun, this isn’t just about the kiss,” Hope interrupted. “You’ve been talking in secret for a while, right?”

Marisol sighed. “Honestly, I thought we had something special. Apparently, that isn’t true. But even if I’m not the only one he was talking to, that doesn’t mean I’m not interested in seeing where things go with him. I haven’t exactly had the best luck in the villa so far, so you can hardly blame me for enjoying the attentions of the first guy that’s actually shown any interest in me.”

“But what about Bobby?” I asked. “You went behind his back, too.”

She let out an exasperated sigh. “Bobby and I are just friends, and that’s all we could ever be.”

My eyes narrowed. “Does he know that?”

“Of course he does!”

“Really? Because the way he was acting after your little display with Rocco certainly suggested otherwise. He was just as gobsmacked as the rest of us were!”

She snorted. “Well he shouldn’t have been. We’ve already had the ‘we’re just friends, let’s crack on with other people’ conversation, so a kiss in a challenge should hardly come as a surprise. You’re not interested in Rocco, Bobby’s not interested in me, so there’s no need for anyone to be upset.”

My brows furrowed in confusion. “But—”

She cut me off. “I’m telling you, it’s not an issue. Now is this interrogation over? Because if you all don’t mind, I’d like to go crack on out in the open.” She downed the rest of her drink, then stood and walked back inside.

Lottie rolled her eyes. “Some girls’ party, huh.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, leave a comment and/or kudos if you're enjoying! 😊


	12. Mr. Love Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys put on a talent contest, and the girls have a decision to make...

I woke to the sound of birds chirping and the sun shining bright in my eyes, and for a moment I forgot where I was. Then the events of the previous day came flooding back, and I realized I had spent the night on the daybeds, having not wanted to share a bed with Rocco. The boy had been clueless when I had hinted that he should sleep elsewhere, so in the end I was the one that sucked it up and headed outside. It ended up being a pretty good night, away from the noises of the communal bedroom.

I heard the bedroom door open and close gently, as if someone was trying not to wake anyone, then the soft patter of footsteps walking along the deck, heading towards the lawn. A few seconds later there were light splashes as someone entered the pool.

I sat up in the bed to spot Lucas slowly walking down the steps of the pool, doing his best to make as little noise as possible. Finally he reached the deep section and submerged himself, swimming towards one end of the pool before turning back and heading the other direction.

I found myself smiling, both at his consideration for my slumber and at the sight of his gorgeous body as he resurfaced occasionally for air. I propped myself up against the headboard to give myself a better view as I watched him swim his laps, his strokes so graceful he barely made a sound in the water.

_That’s so sexy._

I fished my phone out from under the covers, smirking to myself as I opened the camera and recorded his swim.

Finally he headed back to the steps and started making his way out of the pool, running his hand through his hair to push the wet strands away from his forehead. His muscles gleamed in the early morning sun and I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen anything sexier in my life.

I stopped the recording and quickly turned off the phone’s screen, dropping it onto the bed as Lucas looked in my direction. He gave me a sheepish look and headed towards me.

“I didn’t wake you, did I? I was trying to be quiet.”

I shook my head. “No, I was already awake. Kinda hard to sleep once the sun’s up.”

“Wait, so you’ve been awake this whole time? Just secretly watching me swim?”

“Yeah, well, you’re a nice sight to wake up to,” I blushed, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips.

“Oh, yeah? Maybe if you’re lucky you’ll get to wake up to the sight of me more often.” He smirked.

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, did you think I was planning to pick you at the next recoupling? I think that would make _you_ the lucky one. There are more guys than girls, after all… you may not get picked at all!”

I smirked as I grabbed my phone and jumped out of the bed, walking away before he had a chance to respond.

_That felt SO DAMN GOOD!_

As I reached the kitchen, Gary stepped out of the villa.

“Oh! Good morning, Josie,” he grinned. His smile wavered as he noticed Lucas following behind me. “I’m just making a cuppa. Do you want one?”

“That would be great!” I smiled warmly at him. I looked over my shoulder at Lucas, then turned back to Gary and rose on my tiptoes to give him a peck on the cheek. He raised his eyebrows, but smiled.

“Guuuuuuuys!” Priya’s voice sounded from the bedroom. “I got a text!”

We hurried into the bedroom.

“You’ll see why I screamed when you hear what it says,” she was saying. She turned and saw us come in. “Oh, good, you guys are here! Listen to this! ‘Girls, later today you will decide which boy is the most dateable. Guys, smooth out those manners and straighten out those lines. It’s date or break time!’”

“What does that mean?” I asked, but she just shrugged.

“I’m so going to screw this up,” Rahim groaned, falling back onto his bed.

Lottie grinned and rubbed her hands. “Looks like the power is in our hands today, girls.”

“What are you guys waiting for? Go get ready!”

*********

“I think first dates are super important.” Lottie was saying as I dropped onto a beanbag next to her. “If you don’t impress me in the first 3.9 seconds of the date, I’m out.”

“3.9 seconds?” I asked. “That’s not very much time.”

“Yes, well, I’m all about first impressions. If a guy doesn’t even make an effort, it’s not happening.”

“I always make sure first dates aren’t too expensive,” Henrik said, causing Lottie to raise an eyebrow. “We don’t need to pay to have good conversation. And I like to do something active, like hiking up a mountain.”

“That sounds interesting,” I smiled. “It’s always nice when someone puts a little thought into a first date.”

“I like exploring the city looking for new or interesting restaurants,” Lucas said. “Good food, good wine, and then maybe a nice walk around a park or market or something. A bit of a step up from dinner-and-a-movie, and it allows for good conversation, too.”

“Mornin’ all,” Gary said as he walked over. He handed me a mug. “A banging cup of tea for Josie. And one for you too, Lozza.”

I smiled at him as he dropped onto a beanbag. “Thanks, Gaz.”

He rolled his eyes at the nickname. “So what’re you guys up to?”

“We’re having an important discussion about dating rules,” Lottie responded. “In preparation for when we get to judge you guys later. So, kissing and doing the dirty. What’re your rules?”

“Oh, no, I do my own laundry, thanks,” he said.

Lottie and I looked at each other and giggled.

“Alright, one of mine…” Henrik looked thoughtful. “Don’t bring a girl back to your place if you can’t make her a decent breakfast.”

“That’s a good one,” Lottie smiled. “It’s always nice waking up to someone cooking you breakfast.”

“For me, it’s all about the first kiss,” Lucas said, looking at me. “I like to leave her wanting more…”

_By hardly giving her anything at all? I really hate how much it actually worked on me._

“What do you think, Josie?”

I shrugged. “First kisses matter sometimes, but even a bad first kiss can be looked past, if the ones that follow are good.” I looked pointedly at Lucas, causing him to wink back at me.

“I’m not a fan of romantic tactics,” Gary said. “I prefer things to be natural.”

“I just hope we do alright in the competition later today,” Lucas said. “Whatever it is.”

I finished my tea and excused myself, then headed to the kitchen to wash my mug. A few of the islanders were there finishing their breakfasts.

“OW!”

As I approached, Priya yelled and began jumping around on one foot, grabbing her toe.

“I think it’s broken!”

Rahim looked distraught. “Shit! I’m so sorry, babe! I didn’t—”

Priya suddenly stopped her hopping and straightened. “It’s okay, Rahim! I’m just kidding!”

His shoulders dropped in relief, and he wrapped his arms around her. “Don’t do that…”

“What’d I miss?” I laughed.

Priya smiled at me. “Rahim doesn’t know how to pull out a chair, apparently.”

“Well at least we have a physiotherapist on call for emergencies. Are you guys worried about this contest? Lottie’s got the boys over there trying to impress her with their dating rules.”

Bobby shook his head. “Nah, I just try and live in the moment. No point worrying about the future until I’m stuck in it.”

I smiled. “I like that.”

“I’m totally going to blow this challenge,” Rahim frowned.

“Don’t worry, hun,” Priya reassured him, placing a comforting hand on his arm. “I’ll be voting for you.”

He smiled, but his eyes betrayed his worry.

 _DING!_ One of the phones on the counter chimed. Bobby grabbed it and looked at the screen, then turned towards the lawn to alert the others.

“I’VE GOT A TEXT!”

Everyone gathered around Bobby.

“What’s it say?”

“‘Islanders, this afternoon the boys will be performing in a Mr. Love Island pageant. There will be a swimsuit fashion show, talent contest, and a speech. The girls will choose which boy’s overall act impresses them the most. #islandersgottalent #mrloveisland”

Rahim groaned. “A talent contest?”

Henrik grinned and clapped Lucas on the back. “We’re in the deep end now, bud!”

*********

“This is how it’s meant to be, ladies,” Lottie said, stretching out on a lounger. “The lads flapping about trying to impress us while we lounge by the pool.”

“Bring on the sexy swimwear, I say!” Priya smirked.

“I can’t wait to see what Noah’s hidden talent is,” Hope said dreamily. “I think he’s going to ace this challenge.”

“Do you think Bobby will bake a cake?” Priya asked.

“He’d better!” I grinned. “Or cookies. Or cupcakes. Or key lime pie… mmm… suddenly, I’m hungry. He’d better get baking if he wants my vote.”

“At least he has a skill,” said Marisol. “I wonder what the other guys are going to do.”

“You mean like Rocco?” Lottie raised an eyebrow. “He’ll probably try to lead us in a meditation session or something.”

“Or he’ll tell us a travel story that’s only half true,” I laughed. “Or pull out the air guitar and sing ‘Wonderwall’!”

“He’s not that bad!” Marisol glared at us, then narrowed her eyes at me. “Maybe if some of you gave him half a chance, you’d see a different side of him.”

“I’ve seen the only side I need to,” I stood, grabbing my water bottle. “If he hadn’t coupled up with me in the first place, none of us would be in this mess.”

I left them and headed to the kitchen. As I was filling my water bottle, the cupboard door opened and Bobby walked out.

“Oh! Josie!” In his surprise he fumbled the crate he was carrying, and I rushed over to help him catch it before it dropped to the ground. I looked in the crate and my eyes lit up.

“Are you baking?”

He placed the crate on the kitchen counter and nodded. “Aye, I requested a few ingredients and they just came in.”

I squealed and threw my arms around his neck.

“Whoa! Settle down!” He laughed.

“It’s about time! We’ve been here a week and you haven’t baked yet. A girl can only live on ice lollies so long before she needs some real homemade baked goods to fatten her up.”

“I’ve been meaning to do this for a while, and this contest thing gives me the perfect opportunity to start.” He began pulling items out of the crate and putting them on the counter.

“Do you need any help?”

He placed a hand on his chest as if wounded. “Me? Need help in the kitchen?” He shook his head. “Nah, I figure if I’m going to be judged on my talent, I should probably do it on my own, right?”

I slid onto a barstool. “In that case, I’ll just sit here and judge your technique.”

He grinned. “Oh! Before I forget…” He took a saucepan and filled it with water, placing a few eggs in it. “Lucas asked me to boil some eggs for him.”

“Eggs? What for?”

He shrugged. “Something to do with his talent. He didn’t say what it was.” He put the pan on the stovetop to boil, then grabbed a bowl and measuring cups.

I watched him as he worked, the pleasure and confidence in his abilities evident in his face.

_He’s really in his element in the kitchen like this. It’s cute._

Finally he slid a tray of cupcakes into the oven and put the timer on. He looked up at me. “Okay, come here,” he said.

I got up from the stool and walked around the counter to where he stood, and he pushed a clean bowl towards me. I looked up at him in curiosity.

“We’ve got time to put together some cookie dough,” he smiled, “while the cupcakes bake. There’s not enough time to bake them, but at least we can prepare the dough and bake them later.”

“And you want me to help?” I asked.

“Not help, necessarily… I just figured it would be fun to do it together.”

I lifted onto my tiptoes and gave him a peck on the cheek, causing him to blush. “Yay, this will be fun!”

He started measuring out the ingredients and I followed his instructions, adding ingredients and stirring as required.

“Do you have your speech figured out?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Haven’t really thought too hard about it yet. Any suggestions?”

“All you have to do is just be yourself.”

“Is being myself going to be enough?”

I chewed my bottom lip, pondering for a moment. “You’re right, be Ryan Gosling.”

He smiled and shook his head. “Very funny.”

“Trust me, just be yourself. And you’ve already got the hidden talent down pat, assuming those cupcakes turn out.”

He gasped. “ _Assuming_? I’m hurt, Josie.”

Before I could respond, Lucas came out of the villa. “Bobby! Have you got my eggs?”

“Yeah, they’re right here,” Bobby nodded his head towards a bowl on the counter. Lucas walked up to the counter and grabbed the bowl, giving me an up-nod.

“Um, Lucas… why is there glitter all over your hands?” I asked.

“Oh! Um,” he looked down at his hands. “I was helping Henrik with his costume.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Do I even want to know?”

“You’ll see soon enough,” He grinned. “Thanks for these, Bobby.” He turned and headed back into the villa.

Bobby stood watching him go, and I could see that he was trying desperately to keep a straight face.

“Bobby… what did you do?”

He looked over at me and the smile he was trying to suppress turned into a grin. “I might have put a raw egg in with the boiled ones.”

I gasped. “What? I didn’t even see you do that!”

“I used magic,” he laughed, wiggling his eyebrows at me.

The timer on the oven went off, and he turned to pull the cupcake tray out of the oven, setting it on the counter.

“Those smell delicious!” I said.

He beamed. “Thanks! They look like they turned out perfectly. Now I just need them to cool down so I can decorate them. In the meantime, let’s finish this cookie dough.”

*********

When I rejoined the girls, they had moved to the daybeds. The show crew were busy on the lawn setting up the judges’ table and contestants’ platform.

“What’s Bobby baking?” Priya asked me as I sat beside her on the bed. “Whatever it is, it smells delicious.”

“He made cupcakes! And then he let me help him make cookies, though he’s going to bake them later. He’s just gone inside to finish getting ready.”

“Do you know what anyone else is doing?” Hope asked.

“All I know is that Lucas’s talent has something to do with boiled eggs, and Henrik is using glitter. It sounds like things are pretty chaotic in there.”

“This should be interesting,” Lottie said. “I can’t wait.”

Eventually the crew finished and left the lawn. A few minutes later, Marisol received a text: “‘Ladies, take your seats at the judges table. It’s time to decide which boy has what it takes to be crowned Mr. Love Island. #workitboys #ladieschoice’”

We jumped up from the daybeds and ran over to the table, where notepads and pens had been provided for keeping score. A pair of pillars held up a bright pink “Mr. Love Island” banner in front of a long runway.

“Check out how fancy this is!” Hope exclaimed. “Can we keep the pillars?”

“It’s so Miss World,” Marisol gushed.

Gary came out of the villa in a t-shirt and shorts and stood on the platform. “Welcome to Mr. Love Island,” he said. “We’ve got three rounds of fun for you lovely ladies. At the end of them, one of the Love Island boys gets a pretty sash and a tiny crown.”

“It’s called a tiara,” Lottie heckled him.

He pretended not to hear and continued. “Not to mention a special secret prize to be announced at the end. We kick off with the swimwear round. Our first contender is sexy, suave, and great with his hands…” he held up his hands. “Form an orderly queue, ladies!”

He strutted around the platform as music started playing, pausing occasionally to flex his muscles and strike different poses, while the girls cheered him on. Finally he came to the front of our table and slowly removed his top.

“Take it all off!” I cheered.

He grinned at me as he whipped his shorts off, revealing his red budgie smugglers. We whooped and giggled as he seductively walked over to Lottie, picking up a bottle of baby oil that had fallen out of his shorts and squirting it onto his chest. Lottie grinned as she rubbed the oil into his chest and abs. He gave me a wink as he turned, kissing one of his biceps and rolling his hips before returning to the middle of the platform and facing us.

“I’d hate to be the fella that had to follow that,” he grinned. “Next up, the best thing to come out of Sweden since ABBA and meatballs! It’s Henrik!”

He motioned towards the villa as Henrik stepped out in green swim trunks, covered in gold glitter and wearing bright red lipstick. His hair was loose and hung over his shoulders in waves. He grinned as he ran past the platform stairs and climbed up the side instead.

“Oh my god,” I laughed.

Lottie gasped. “Is… is he wearing my lippie? Why does it look better on him?”

He strutted toward the judges’ table and twirled, blowing kisses at each of us in turn.

“Work it, Henrik!” Hope cheered.

He ran his fingers through his hair as he gave us a smouldering look, then turned and did a cartwheel down the platform.

“Next up, a master baker who’s sure to get your temperature rising… it’s Bobby!”

Bobby ran out of the villa wearing a full-length dress with a deep cut down the bodice and a thigh-high slit. All of the girls started laughing except for Priya, who gasped in horror.

“Hey! That’s _my_ dress! Josie, did you know about this?”

“Honestly, I didn’t, Pri!”

She grunted, but couldn’t hide the smile forming as she watched Bobby ascend the platform.

Bobby strutted like a model walking the catwalk, until he reached the judges’ table and struck a pose with his hands on his hips. “Glad you’re loving the show, ladies. I’ve been practicing…” He spun around and suddenly lost his footing, falling hard onto the platform. He commando rolled and jumped up, picking up the skirt of the dress and running off.

“That was amazing!”

“Best thing I’ve ever seen,” Lottie grinned.

“Next up, a man who never misses a flight… Rocco!”

Rocco bounded out of the villa and up onto the platform, then began bending his body into a series of yoga poses as he made his way down the runway towards us.

I yawned, and leaned over to whisper to Lottie. “After Bobby’s performance, this is a bit of a letdown.”

She smiled and nodded in agreement.

“I thought this was a talent show, not a retreat,” I said a bit more loudly.

He had just reached the end of the platform and was moving into tree pose, but my comment appeared to throw him off and he began losing his balance.

“You can do it,” Marisol encouraged, giving him a sweet smile as he caught himself and straightened in the pose. She turned to glare at me, and I gave her a shrug.

He joined his hands together and bowed in thanks before turning and retreating down the platform.

“Moving swiftly on… He’s everyone’s favourite bit of posh. It’s Lucas!”

Lucas ran out of the villa and instead of coming towards the platform, he headed to the far end of the pool and dove in.

_Oh, shit, he’s re-enacting this morning._

“What’s he doing?” Lottie asked. “He’s meant to show off his swimwear, not go for a dip.”

_Wait for it…_

He emerged from under the surface of the water and slowly walked up the stairs, giving us his best smouldering gaze as he ran his fingers through his hair.

_… and there it is._

“Oh my god,” Priya breathed.

“Am I the only one watching this in slow motion?” Lottie asked.

“His trunks are clinging to all the right places.”

_I know, girls. I know._

I barely noticed as Noah and Rahim followed, each strutting their stuff down the runway. They both had great bodies, but Lucas was a tough act to follow and their performances were a little bland as a result.

Gary disappeared into the villa as the boys prepared for the talent round.

“Favourites, girls?” Priya asked, as we huddled together.

“Bobby’s top of my list,” Lottie said.

“No surprises here, but it’s Noah all the way,” Hope countered. “Although Lucas is a close second…”

_Ugh, you’re still on that?_

“It’s Lucas for me,” I said. “I’m still drooling.”

“Who’s ready to see some hidden talents?” Gary interrupted as he ran back out of the villa, still in his budgie smugglers. The rest of the boys followed, sitting on the sidelines to wait their turns.

We sat back in our chairs, ready to judge the next portion of the contest.

“First, we have a man of few words. Let’s give it up for Noah!” Gary clapped as Noah walked back out of the villa and stood in front of us.

“For my talent, I’ll need the help of a lovely assistant.”

“Oh! Pick me!” Hope put up her hand excitedly.

“Ah, sorry, Hope…” Noah blushed. “Your hair is up. I’m going to need someone whose hair is down.”

“I’ll do it,” Priya smiled, standing and coming around the judges’ table to stand in front of him.

He turned her around and expertly plaited her hair into a French braid. “All done.”

“It looks gorgeous!” Hope beamed with pride.

“It takes me forever to do a French braid!” Marisol said, impressed.

“Next up, our own resident shaman, it’s Rocco!”

Rocco came out holding a tin can, rattling it ceremoniously. “Today I’ll be performing a ritual I learned on my travels in Iceland…”

I rolled my eyes.

“… a cleansing ritual to invoke a blessing from the spirits! You might want to find cover, girls.”

He began stomping his right foot and chanting while rattling the can.

_Is this supposed to be some sort of rain dance? In Majorca?_

He kept dancing for a few minutes. Predictably, nothing happened, and he was starting to look worried.

I cleared my throat. “Maybe it’s only supposed to work in rainy climates?”

“Josie’s right,” Hope said. “Thank you, next!”

“Clearly, the spirits have been watching and they ain’t impressed…” Lottie shook her head.

Rocco sighed and ended his dance. “It worked in Reykjavik…”

Rahim gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, then jumped up onto the platform and put on a blindfold. “Start the timer, Bobby!” He began doing ab crunches while twisting a Rubik’s cube. Forty seconds later, the cube was solved.

Priya stood up and applauded. “That was ridiculously hot,” she gushed.

“And definitely quicker than Rocco’s bit,” Lottie added.

Henrik was next to go, doing a creepy eyebrow dance. Gary then grossed everyone out by eating a raw onion.

Next Lucas stepped onto the platform, holding an egg and a bowl. “Observe as I peel this boiled egg using one hand,” he said, holding up the egg. “First I break the shell on both ends…”

He tapped the base of the egg against the bottom of the bowl to crack the shell. Immediately the egg cracked, the insides exploding out of it. Lucas jumped, dropping what was left of the eggshell and the bowl in shock. I covered my mouth with my palm to cover up my laughter.

“What the fuck?!” He turned to Bobby. “I thought you said you boiled them!”

Bobby was doubled over in laughter, unable to respond. Lucas glared at him, then at the remnants of egg on his hand, then back at Bobby.

“FUCK! Mate, you ruined my talent!”

By this time the other islanders were either laughing, or trying their best not to.

Lucas looked at me. “Did you know about this? You were there with him.”

I feigned innocence. “Cross my heart, I saw him boil those eggs myself!”

_Technically, not a lie._

Finally Bobby recovered enough to pick up one of the other eggs that Lucas had left under his chair, and tried handing it to him. “Mate, that was priceless. Here, try this one.”

Lucas just stared at him. “Nope, no way I’m falling for it again.”

Bobby just laughed and swung the egg against the platform, cracking the bottom of the shell. He held it back up to Lucas, who swiped it out of his hand while Bobby sat back down, still giggling.

Lucas cracked the other end of the egg, then held the egg in one hand as he used his thumb to remove the remnants of the shell from either end.

“As I was saying… first I break the shell on both ends,” he turned to glare at Bobby one more time, “then I remove the pieces from either end to create openings. Finally I hold the egg up to my mouth,” he held up the egg with the smaller end at his mouth and blew on it. The egg popped out, bouncing onto the platform and rolling off the edge. “… And blow! And voila!”

I turned to the girls. “I liked the first one better, to be honest.”

Bobby was next up on the stage, still wearing Priya’s dress. “If you look closely, you’ll see I’m wearing nothing more than a skimpy frock…”

“That’s not even the most revealing one I brought!” Priya giggled.

“And either he’s stuffed the bottom half, or he urgently needs a doctor,” Hope mused.

“But wait, what’s this I can feel?” Bobby continued. He pulled out a large handkerchief from his cleavage and shook it out to show nothing was hidden in it. With a flick of his wrist and a puff of smoke, the hanky disappeared, and a cupcake appeared in its place.

“Where was he hiding that?” Lottie asked.

“Oh no, not the bulge…”

He placed the cupcake in front of me. “Something sweet for someone sweet.”

“Aww!” I smiled up at him. “I love cupcakes!”

“You aren’t really going to eat that, are you?” Priya leaned over and whispered. I just gave her a coy smile and a shrug.

“Bobby’s still top of my list,” Lottie said.

_Interesting. Maybe I should see if she wants this cupcake._

“Poor Rocco,” Marisol frowned, “this is not going well for him.”

_He should’ve just sung ‘Wonderwall,’ it would’ve been an improvement._

Lottie shrugged. “He’s still got a chance to turn it around. Let’s see what he does.”

Bobby came back onto the platform for his speech. “Someone once said, ‘You can’t hurry love.’ I’m pretty sure they must have been an amazing baker. It takes time and the right ingredients to craft the perfect pastry, and the same goes for finding someone special. When I do find her, she’ll always have a fresh pastry in her hand and a smile on her face.”

“Whooo!” I cheered, and he flashed me a smile.

“Thank you, ladies. Someone better eat that cupcake. It was made with love!”

“Yeah, about that…” I smirked. “I was just wondering, do Scotsmen wear dresses the way they wear kilts? Because your answer is going to determine whether or not this thing gets eaten.”

The other girls groaned, but Bobby just laughed. “Just eat the damn cupcake, or you’re not getting any cookies later.”

I pouted, then brought the cupcakes to my lips, taking a bite.

_Bulge or not, this is really good._

“Mmm… girls, you’re missing out.”

“We’ll take your word for it, hun,” Priya laughed.

Gary was the next up. “I wanted to talk about something close to my heart… some of you know that my nan is big on charity work. She’s taught me to give back to society and to get involved in community issues. I’ve helped her out at the soup kitchen, and to build the local youth centre. I may not bang on about spiritual connections or being at one with the world, but I care about the folk around me and I know that if I win Mr. Love Island I’ll bring that community spirit to the house.”

“Wow, I’ve never seen a serious side to Gary before,” Marisol said thoughtfully.

“And to top it off, just look at me. No need to pinch yourselves, ladies, I’m real!”

“And he ruined it.”

“Does anyone smell onions?” I asked. “Gary, I’m gonna need you to take a few steps back.”

“Go brush your teeth!” Lottie heckled.

“Who doesn’t love the smell of onions?” Gary shrugged, before walking off the platform.

Rocco stood up next. “I came into the Villa to find my soulmate and make a meaningful connection. On my journey to find love, I have made mistakes—" he looked directly at me, “—which I deeply regret. But to err is human and to forgive is divine. Hopefully, the connection I make in the villa will blossom into something wonderful. And that energy can lift the cloud that seems to be hanging over the villa.”

I looked up at the sky and smirked. “Still no clouds, Rocco.”

Priya and Lottie giggled, but Rocco just scowled as he turned and walked back to his seat.

The rest of the boys did their speeches, and then Gary stood.

“Right, ladies, it’s time for you to make a decision.”

The girls conferred together, adding up our scores. Lottie and I pushed for Bobby, but the other girls had deducted points for the egg prank – “You can’t sabotage other contestants,” Marisol had said – and they all pushed for Noah as having the best all-around performance.

The boys lined up in front of the judges’ table, and Lottie stood up to announce the winner.

“There was one clear winner,” she started. “We all agreed he was the guy we’d most like to go on a date with. The Love Island boy we decided was the most dateable is… Noah!”

Hope beamed as she draped a pink “Mr. Love Island” sash over him and placed a tiara on his head. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a kiss.

_Ew._

His phone beeped. “I’ve got a text… ‘Congratulations on winning Mr. Love Island. For your prize you’ll be getting a phone call from someone special. #famalam #feelthelove’ Amazing! I can’t believe it, I get to talk to someone back home!”

“SPEECH!” the boys yelled.

Noah looked up with a grin. “I’ll hold the title of Mr. Love Island with pride—” his speech was suddenly cut off as the boys rushed him, pushing him into the pool. He surfaced and wiped the water from his face. “Thanks for that, now my sash is wet…”

*********

“We’ve got to look our best this evening,” Priya said in the dressing room as we were getting ready. “After seeing the boys this afternoon, I’m worried they’re wearing our styles better than we are. Bobby was, like, a revelation in my dress.”

“They were great,” Lottie said. “Do you think Noah is ever going to take off that sash? I bet he wore it during his phone call!”

“He’s really proud of himself,” Hope smiled, “and he should be. I think we all saw a different side to the boys this afternoon. They really put themselves out there.”

Marisol’s phone beeped, and as she reached for it her powder compact fell to the floor. “Ugh! This is what happens when I don’t get to finish my coffee.”

“What does the text say?” Priya asked.

“‘Girls, you have a very important decision to make tonight. The boys are waiting for you at the fire pit. #dressedtoimpress’”

_Oh, shit._

We quickly finished getting ready and headed to the firepit. When we arrived, the boys were already standing in a line opposite the bench.

“For heaven’s sake. I knew he’d still be wearing the sash!” Priya laughed.

“I did earn this,” Noah grinned. “You think I’m going to give up being Mr. Love Island before I have to?”

“Did you wear the sash when you were on the phone?” Lottie asked.

“Obviously. It was a video call, too, so my family got to see me all dressed up.”

“So, why are we all here?”

My phone beeped. “I guess we’re about to find out. ‘Islanders, tonight the girls will decide which boys are the most and least likely to leave the villa with a girlfriend. Girls, you may discuss your voting as a group, but you will send your answers individually by text. The boys who are voted least likely to leave the villa with a girlfriend will be vulnerable and at risk of being dumped from the island.’”

_That’s savage._

There were gasps among the islanders.

“So someone’s getting dumped over this…” Lottie frowned. “That’s awful!”

“We’re such a good group,” I said. “I don’t want to see people leave just because they haven’t found the right person yet. It’s so early!”

“This is horrible,” Priya agreed. “How are we supposed to decide who stays and who might go home?”

“Girls, let’s discuss this,” Hope said. “Boys, would you give us a minute?”

The boys headed onto the lawn, dropping onto the beanbags. The girls huddled around each other.

“Before we get started, let’s just remind ourselves of what we’re doing. We need to decide which boys are most likely to leave the villa with a girlfriend.”

“I don’t think there’s anyone we could say for sure,” Marisol said. “It’s still the first week.”

“I know which boy _I_ think is likely to leave with a girlfriend,” Hope said, lifting her chin.

_Really? Already? Girl, you clearly haven’t noticed the looks he’s been sneaking at Priya._

“I’m coupled up with Gary,” Lottie said. “We should talk about him. Honestly, he’s exactly my type but for some reason I’m not really feeling it. Neither of our hearts are really in it.”

“He’s not my type, personally, but I’m sure he’ll find someone in here,” Priya said, looking over at me. I nodded.

“I agree,” Marisol said. “He’s got some options still.”

“What about Ibrahim?” Priya asked. “I definitely think he could. Things are going fairly well with me and him…”

“You guys are cute together,” Hope smiled.

_You just think that because you want her far away from Noah._

“What do you guys think about Bobby?” she asked.

“He’s so fun, and he’s such a sweetheart,” I said. “I’d hate to see him go. Just because it hasn’t worked with me or Marisol doesn’t mean it can’t with someone else.”

“Which leaves us with Rocco,” Priya said.

I sighed. “Real talk? I’m not sure he’s ready for something serious. He’s young, he openly flirts with everyone, and there are times when he just doesn’t have a fucking clue.”

_Like picking someone at a recoupling without talking to them first!_

Lottie and Priya both nodded, and Hope looked thoughtful.

Marisol spoke up. “He’s just not very good at dealing with how things work in here. I know it might’ve been silly for me to fall for it when he was talking to all the girls, but I do actually like him. I’d like to be given a chance.”

I shrugged. “We each have to vote for someone, though. I’m sorry Marisol, but out of all the guys here I really do think he’s the least dateable.”

“I agree,” Lottie said. “Even if Josie didn’t seem to mind, he’s made some pretty snakey moves. I couldn’t trust him.”

“I guess this is why we’re all voting separately,” Marisol said. “So, we should go and make our choices, then.”

“Um, aren’t you forgetting someone?” Priya asked. “Lucas and Henrik.”

Hope nodded. “There’s no way Lucas isn’t going to be a catch for some girl that comes in here.”

_Yeah, but it won’t be you._

“I think they both should stay,” I said. “They’ve only just got here.”

“You and Lucas would make such a gorgeous couple,” Priya said with a smile. “I can tell you’ve got great chemistry.”

I blushed. “Yeah, I’d especially like him to stay.”

She leaned over and whispered into my ear. “You could probably win the whole thing together.”

I looked at her in surprise. “What?”

She shrugged and gave me a conspiratorial smile. “Just a feeling.”

Hope cleared her throat. “And Henrik has a lot of potential too, I think.”

“He’ll definitely find someone,” Lottie agreed.

“So that’s everyone, then,” Priya said. “I’ve got a pretty good idea who’s likely to leave with a girlfriend and who isn’t. I can’t believe someone’s going to get dumped over this, but I think it’s time to cast our votes.”

We each pulled out our phones and went to find private places to sit. I headed to the pool, taking off my shoes and dangling my feet in the water.

My phone beeped with an incoming text. “It’s time to vote for the boy you think is most likely to leave the villa with a girlfriend. Please reply with your vote.”

I sighed. _Gary? Lucas? I hardly know either of them. Lucas is hot, and there’s definitely something between us, but it’s way too early about being his girlfriend. Gary’s great, but would he be my first choice?_

 _Ah, fuck it._ I typed in Lucas’ name and pressed send.

Another text came in. “It’s now time to vote for the boy you think is least likely to leave with a girlfriend. The boys with the most votes will be vulnerable, and will be at risk of being dumped from the Island. Please reply with your vote.”

 _Sorry, Marisol_ . With no hesitation, I typed _Rocco_ and hit send.

“Please gather at the fire pit for the results.”

I picked up my shoes and headed back to the firepit. The boys were already lined up again, but they looked relaxed.

“Are we gonna have maps in Adventure Golf?” Rahim was asking.

“What on earth are you talking about?” Hope asked as she reached the firepit.

“Did they not tell you about Adventure Golf yet, hun?” Priya asked. “It’s like, all the fun of golf and all the excitement of reading maps…”

Hope raised an eyebrow. “Sounds boring.”

_DING!_

“Oh no, it’s me,” Lottie looked down at her screen. “’Islanders, the boy who received the most votes, and that you think is most likely to leave the Island with a girlfriend is…’” There was a pause, and then she received another text. “Noah!”

Hope squealed, and ran up to Noah to give him a hug.

_It might not be her, though._

_DING!_

“And that’s me,” Priya said. “’There were three boys who received votes as least likely to leave the Island with a girlfriend and are now vulnerable. In no particular order, they are…’”

_Wait, three of them?_

Her grip on the phone tightened as she received the next text. “Rocco…”

Her eyes widened as the next text came in, and she looked up at me. “Lucas…”

There was a sharp intake of breath from around the firepit.

_Hold up, what?! I thought we agreed…_

The silence was excruciating as we held our breaths, waiting for the last name to be revealed.

Priya looked at her phone and gasped.

“…Bobby.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry....... no, not really! 😈
> 
> (But really, I'd love to hear from you if you're enjoying - let me know your reactions! 💕)


	13. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few notes...
> 
> First, I know I just promised longer chapters covering full days, but... I lied. This one is a short one, and with the upcoming drama it just made sense to slice up the events. Oops! BUT I just couldn't sit on this one anymore, so I'm posting it early and will have the next chapter posted in a few days to make up for it. With S3 starting I was considering posting just once a week, but I'm not going to stick to that if the situation calls for more frequent updates (plus S3 is boring, so we need S2 fics more than ever).
> 
> Second, I just wanted to say that ever since I started this fic, this was the chapter I was most excited to write. Things are going down...

_“…Bobby.”_

“What… the… FUCK?!” I jumped out of my seat and turned to face the other girls. “Which of you fucking bitches voted for Lucas and Bobby?!”

They just sat there, in shock at the news.

Priya’s phone beeped again, her face turning pale as she read the screen. “Guys, there’s more…”

Lottie grabbed me by the hips and pulled me back onto the bench, and I swatted her hands away as I shuffled further from her, burying my face in my hands as I waited for the text to be read.

“’The three boys who were voted least likely to leave the Island with a girlfriend will now face a public vote. The public will vote on the boy they want to have another chance at love, and the remaining boys will be dumped from the Island.’”

I felt like I had been punched in the gut.

_One boy saved. Two boys dumped._

“Are you fucking _joking_ ?!” I raised my head in disbelief. “Only one boy is being saved, so either Lucas or Bobby is _guaranteed_ to be dumped?”

I felt Lottie’s hand on my back and pushed her away again. My eyes burned and tears threatened to fall as I stood and ran from the firepit towards the villa.

“Josie!” Someone called out to me, and I heard footsteps behind me as they tried to catch up.

“ _Don’t_ follow me,” I spat, without turning to see who it was. The footsteps stopped short, and I kept moving, not stopping until I was on the rooftop terrace with the door locked behind me. I sank onto the floor, allowing my tears to flow freely.

_I thought these girls were my friends. How could they betray me like that?_

Voices drifted up to the terrace from below.

“Who has betrayed who?”

I snorted.

_Marisol wouldn’t have voted for Rocco, so she obviously voted for one of the others. But she hardly has any reason to be upset, when I straight up told her I’d be voting for him._

_She probably voted for Lucas to get back at me. Petty bitch._

_But who would have voted for Bobby? He’s friends with all of us!_

My phone beeped.

‘Josie, please head to the Beach Hut.’

_Oh, sure, put my misery on display for all the world to see. Sadistic bastards._

My hands shook as I wiped the wetness from my face, before unlocking and opening the door separating the terrace from the dressing room.

I stopped short when I saw Lottie sitting at the dressing table, her eyes red and puffy. She looked about as bad as I felt.

She looked up as I walked in, her eyes widening as I hurried past. “Josie, wait!”

“ _What?_ ” I seethed through clenched teeth, pausing at the dressing room door.

“I voted for Rocco.”

“So?”

“So, I’m just as mad as you are.”

“I sincerely doubt that,” I hissed.

“I feel as though one of the girls has totally betrayed us, and I’m going to find out who it is.”

“Right. Well when you find out, let me know.” I slammed the door behind me on my way out and stormed down the hall to the Beach Hut.

I dropped into the chair in the middle of the room, then picked up one of the cushions and hurled it against the wall before turning to glare at the camera.

“I’m fucking _fuming_ ! We discussed our votes as a group, and nobody said _anything_ about why Lucas or Bobby should go. _Nobody_ disagreed with me when I said Bobby deserved a chance, and I _outright_ said I was interested in Lucas. So why _the fuck_ did they receive votes?! If you’re gonna vote for someone then at least have the fucking balls to say something to my face, instead of doing it on the sly.

“I’m pretty positive Marisol just voted for Lucas to get back at me for what I said about Rocco, but that’s some petty shit right there. She could have voted for anyone else! And let’s be real, Rocco was the obvious pick, no matter what she says. Why does she even like him anyway? She’s a fucking law student, and he’s a hippie! They’re never going to work!

“And Bobby…” I shook my head. “Like, what the hell? He’s the heart of the villa, and everyone’s friend, and someone actually wants to dump him?”

I picked up another cushion, and it met with the same fate as the first one.

“And the worst part is, it’s too late to do anything about it! All I can do is wait until we find out what the public does. I’m either going to lose a guy that I have a romantic spark with, or the guy who’s been one of my best friends in here since Day 1.

“At least if only one boy was being dumped, there’d be a chance that both could stay. But no, someone in their _infinite wisdom_ had to decide to dump _two_ boys, which means that for sure one of them is going. And what if people actually like Rocco, and he wins the vote, and they _both_ go?!”

That was a thought I simply could not handle. I stood, raging, and threw the remaining cushions as hard as I could against the wall before collapsing on the floor, my back against the chair and head in my hands as angry tears flooded my eyes.

I sat there for what seemed like hours, though I knew it was only minutes before my tears dried up.

_Get yourself together, Josie._

I took a deep breath and stood, looking straight in the camera as I held up my middle finger towards it. “Hope the ratings are worth it, assholes.”

I opened the door and my breath hitched.

“Bobby…”

He was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall and his legs stretched out in front of him. He looked up at the sound of my voice and gave me a small, sad smile that damn near melted my heart.

“There you are,” he said, rising to his feet. I threw my arms around his waist and rested my head against his chest.

“I don’t want you to go.” Tears started welling up in my eyes again and I furiously tried to blink them away.

“Aye, me neither,” he said softly, stroking my hair gently as he wrapped me in his arms. “But if it means you can be happy with Lucas, I won’t mind so much…”

My heart broke.

_He’s so selfless._

“It’s not fair,” I sniffed. “I don’t want to lose either of you.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

I loosened my grip so I could look up at his face. “ _You’re_ sorry?”

“Yeah,” he said, brushing his thumb against my cheek, wiping away a rogue tear. “I’m sorry that whatever happens, you’re going to be hurt.”

I closed my eyes and sighed. “You’re too good, B. Here I am being selfish, but you… you’re the one up against a public vote, and you’re thinking about how _others_ feel.”

His only response was to hold me tighter, resting his head on mine. We stood there in silence for a few minutes, and if my heart weren’t hurting so much I might have forgotten all my cares in the safety of his arms.

The moment was broken by the sudden beep of a phone, causing me to jump.

He released me and fished his phone out of his pocket, displeasure evident on his face as he read the screen.

“They want me in the Beach Hut,” he said.

_Ugh._

“I guess I’d better head back outside, then. I think there are some conversations I need to have.”

“Take it easy on them, yeah?” He implored, searching my eyes.

I gave him a brief smile. “I’ll try… I think I’ve calmed down enough to be civil, at least.”

“Good,” he nodded. He turned and opened the Beach Hut door, then stopped.

“Um, Josie? Why are the cushions all on the floor?”

“They looked better there.”

He looked back at me with eyebrows raised.

“I have an Irish temper, okay?” I laughed in spite of myself.

He just shook his head in chagrin, then entered the room and closed the door behind him.

I leaned against the wall, staring at the closed door with a knot forming in my stomach.

_I’ve only known him a week, but it’s crazy how much I’ll miss him if he goes. How does someone become such an important part of your life so quickly?_

I pushed myself off the wall and walked back towards the dressing room. This time the room was empty, and I let out a sigh of relief as I sat down in front of one of the mirrors.

_I look like a complete disaster._

The tears had broken down most of my makeup, leaving streaks down my face and smudges around my eyes. It was definitely not salvageable, so I threw my hair up into a messy topknot and removed what was left of my makeup before heading to the bathroom to wash my face. My eyes were still red and puffy, but I knew that even Priya’s most expensive eye cream wouldn’t be enough to fix that situation.

It was still early in the evening, but I decided to brush my teeth and change into a pyjama shorts and t-shirt combo, so that I wouldn’t have to come back up to the dressing room before bed. I threw on a hoodie over top, and finally gathered up the courage to head downstairs to face the others. 

As I walked outside, I spotted Lucas in the kitchen, his back to me as he stood chatting with Priya and Henrik. Priya’s face lit up as she saw me, and she immediately came over and pulled me into a hug. Over her shoulder I noticed Lucas turn to watch us.

“Easy there, Pri,” I said with forced levity. “You’d think I was the one up against a public vote tonight.”

She pulled back and held me at arms’ length, searching my eyes. I lowered them to avoid revealing the pain that I knew was still there, and she hugged me again. My eyes lifted to meet Lucas’s, and I held his gaze as Priya finally released me.

She saw where I was looking and smiled. “I’ll leave you guys to chat,” she said, and turned to Henrik. “C’mon Henrik, why don’t you tell me something about climbing?”

Henrik started talking animatedly as they walked off together in the direction of the firepit, leaving Lucas and I still standing there, staring at each other.

He came to his senses first and held out his hand. “Shall we go find somewhere private to chat?”

I smiled and took his hand, letting him lead me to the swinging bench. I sat down among the cushions, and he angled his body towards mine as he lowered himself next to me, arm resting across the top of the bench.

“I hope you get to stay,” I said softly, focusing on my hands in my lap.

He placed his free hand on top of mine, and I looked back up at him. “I don’t love my odds, to be honest.”

“Don’t say that,” I breathed.

“I’m still the new guy. I’ve been here three days, and the public… well, they already have their favourites. Plus they only see a small amount of what goes on here, so who knows how they feel about me?”

“It’s not fair. We… you haven’t had enough time. This whole day, this whole _thing_ was such a farce. How were we supposed to vote who would get a girlfriend or not after only knowing each other a few days?”

“I know,” he said, taking one of my hands and squeezing it. His usual intense, controlled demeanor melted away. “Just know that if I do go, my only regret will be not getting the chance to get to know you better.”

Tears sprung to my eyes for the umpteenth time that night, and I lifted my hand to my face to wipe them away. “Sorry, I’m not usually this emotional.”

“You’ve got every right to be,” he said softly. “I know we haven’t had much time, but I do feel like we have a real connection. And I know how close you are with Bobby… so you don’t need to apologize for being upset. In fact, I’m kind of glad.”

My brow furrowed as I looked up at him. “What?”

His confident smirk returned. “I have to admit, it feels good to know that you’re upset over the idea of me being dumped. It means you like me.”

I rolled my eyes, but a smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.

“There it is,” he said, smiling down at me. “Let’s just forget the vote and make the most of what time we have. And if by some miracle I get to stay, then at least we’ll know each other better and can go from there.”

I shifted my body closer to his in response, and the arm he had draped over the top of the bench moved down to wrap around my shoulders. I leaned into him, and we sat looking out over the pool sparkling in the moonlight, talking about anything but the upcoming dumping.

From our vantage point we could also see Marisol and Rocco lying together on the daybeds. I noticed Rocco look down at his phone before getting up and walking into the villa.

_It must be his turn in the Beach Hut. Now might be a good time to talk to Marisol… I don’t really want to leave this until tomorrow._

“Lucas…”

“Mhm?”

“I think I need to go have a chat with Marisol… do you mind?”

“Not at all,” he said, feathering a kiss on the top of my head. “They’ll probably want me in the Beach Hut when Rocco’s done, anyway.”

We both stood up and he grasped my hand as he walked with me towards the daybeds, giving me an encouraging smile before continuing on towards the firepit where a few of the others were huddled. 

I walked the remaining steps toward the daybed where Marisol sat scrolling through her phone. I stood next to the bed, and she lifted her eyes, apprehension on her face when she saw it was me.

“Marisol, can we chat?”

She chewed her lip as she contemplated, looking like she’d rather do anything else. Eventually she shrugged. “Fine, let’s get this over with.”

I sat on the other end of the bed, facing her. “Look, I know you’re upset that I voted for Rocco. But I still stand by what I said earlier – I really think he’s the least dateable guy here. He’s young, free-spirited, and I honestly don’t think he’s ready for a relationship.” I took a deep breath, trying to keep my temper from resurfacing. “But voting for Lucas to be dumped just to get back at me is some next-level petty bullshit.”

She stared at me. “What?”

_Seriously?_

“You heard me,” I glared, crossing my arms.

She threw her head back and laughed.

_What the hell?_

She looked back at me with an amused smile. “Josie, I didn’t vote for Lucas.”

I froze. “You— wait, what?”

“I voted for Bobby.”

My stomach clenched. _WHAT?!_

“Wait, _you’re_ the one who voted for Bobby? But you’re in a fucking couple with him!”

“Yeah, and it took him all of five minutes to friend-zone me!” She shrugged. “I was willing to give him a chance, but come on. This is _Love_ Island. How is he going to get a girlfriend if he friend-zones every girl he couples up with?”

“How could you? It’s _Bobby_!”

“I wasn’t trying to get him voted off. We were supposed to vote for whoever we thought was least likely to leave with a girlfriend, and, well… I had to vote for someone, and I obviously wasn’t going to vote for Rocco, so he was the next logical choice.”

“Fuck!” I jumped off the bed and started pacing next to it as she sat watching me. I wanted nothing more than to lay into her, but…

_She’s right. Damnit, I hate it but she’s fucking right._

I stopped my pacing and dropped back onto the bed. “Fine. I get it. I’m not happy, and I still think Bobby could find someone in here, but I get it.” A wave of fatigue hit me as my body crashed from the emotions of the evening, and I took a deep breath. “But if you didn’t vote for Lucas, then who did? Lottie said she voted for Rocco, and I know there’s no way Priya would have done that to me…”

“So that leaves Hope,” Marisol said bluntly.

_What the fuck? But I thought she had a crush on him!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, would love to hear from you! Leave me a comment and/or kudos if you're enjoying!


	14. Mean Tweets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The islanders find out what the public is saying about them - and secrets are revealed!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT NOTE: I feel like I posted chapter 13 at a bad time and not everybody saw it, SO make sure you've read that one first before you read this one!

I slept on the daybeds again that night. Despite the fresh outdoor air and the relative quiet compared to the communal bedroom, it was hours before I finally drifted off to sleep. Shortly after my conversation with Marisol, the other islanders had headed inside to get ready for bed, leaving me alone outside with my thoughts. It was those thoughts that kept me awake, running through my head and keeping sleep at bay.

_Why would Hope vote for Lucas?_

_She said he’d be a catch._

_She said her date was kind of boring._

_She said she got good vibes from him._

_She said she was being polite._

_She definitely wanted to kiss him during the challenge._

_It doesn’t make any sense…_

When I awoke, the sun was already higher in the sky than it usually was when I got up, the restless night and a couple of early mornings contributing to my sleeping in. My entire body ached, and I wanted nothing more than to turn off the sun and go back to sleep.

The smell of bacon wafted over from the kitchen, and I rolled over, hoping for a few extra minutes of slumber before the islanders started getting on with their day and I would be forced to get up.

Soon footsteps sounded on the deck, and then I felt the bed shift as someone sank into the mattress beside me. I kept my eyes closed, pretending to still be asleep.

“Good morning, Josie,” Bobby’s voice was soft.

I felt bad ignoring him, but I also wasn’t ready to acknowledge that today might be his last in the villa.

“I know you’re awake,” he said. “Your eye twitched.”

“Mmph,” I responded into the pillow.

“I hope you like bacon and eggs on toast.”

My stomach growled – loudly – and I finally cracked my eyes open and pushed myself up to a sitting position with a yawn.

“You’re speaking my love language,” I said groggily, resting my head on his shoulder.

He handed me one of the two plates he was holding, and I reluctantly lifted my head and sat up straighter so I could eat. The plate held a fried egg cooked sunny-side up on toast with two slices of crispy bacon – along with two freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.

“We never did get a chance to bake the cookies yesterday,” he said, “so I figured I’d do it this morning while I made breakfast. I hope I got the eggs and bacon right.”

“You’re the sweetest, B,” I said gratefully. “Thank you! It’s absolutely perfect.”

I went straight for one of the cookies, and he gave me an amused look as I brought it to my mouth.

“You’re supposed to eat dessert _after_ the main course,” he chuckled.

“I thought that’s why you gave me two,” I said with my mouth full of cookie. “One before, one after. It’s yummy, by the way.”

He puffed out his chest. “Of course it is, I made it.”

“Hey! May I remind you, we made them _together_.”

“Pff, all you did was stir! _I_ did all the important stuff,” he smirked.

“Whatever, McKenzie,” I laughed. Our easy banter was already making me feel better, and I resolved to push aside the drama and just enjoy the day, knowing it was the last day I would get to spend with either him or Lucas.

We sat there for a few minutes, idly chatting between bites of breakfast. As I was finishing off the second cookie, I felt Bobby’s eyes on me and looked up at him questioningly.

His hand came up and he lightly tapped my nose with his finger. “Boop.”

I giggled. “What the hell? Did you just ‘boop’ me?”

He shrugged with a grin. “What can I say? You have a very boop-able nose. I couldn’t resist.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Noses, toes… what strange fetish are we going to learn about next?”

His eyes lowered as he blushed, but he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. 

“Oi! Bobby!” Gary yelled from the kitchen. “I’m hungry!”

Bobby rolled his eyes for my benefit and lifted up his middle finger for Gary to see.

“Hey if this is your last day here I’ma need you to teach me everything you know! Otherwise if I go hungry in here, it’s gonna be your fault!”

“If you go hungry it’ll be because you can’t get a girl to like you enough to feed you!” He yelled back, before turning to me and extending his hand for my empty plate.

I held it away from him and gestured for him to give me his instead. “No, I’ll wash up. You cooked, I’ll clean.”

He thrust his plate towards me with a grin. “I thought you’d never offer.”

I laughed as I accepted it and followed him off the bed. “You’re lucky I love you so much,” I said, putting my arm around his waist as we walked together towards the kitchen. He responded by draping his arm around my shoulders and giving me a light squeeze.

We reached the kitchen, where Gary stood observing us with his eyebrows raised. “Wait, you made _her_ breakfast?” he nodded towards the dishes I was carrying.

“Hey! What do you think this is, Friend Island?” I threw Gary a look of fake annoyance as I brought the dishes to the sink and began rinsing them. “The boys are _supposed_ to make the girls breakfast. That’s how you graft.”

“Yeah, Gaz,” Bobby leaned his elbows on the counter. “Why aren’t you grafting?”

“Mate, I don’t need to graft, girls fall all over themselves for me.”

I nearly choked on my laughter. “Remind us again why you’re single? Oh wait, you just did.”

The boys laughed, and Bobby started helping Gary prepare breakfast while I washed our dishes.

“See you boys later,” I said after I finished up, then headed into the villa to get dressed.

The girls were already in the dressing room when I walked in, and I gave Priya a reassuring smile in response to her concerned look. I ignored the others and the conversation took on a strained tone as I rummaged in my cupboard for my shower things.

By the time I finished my shower and returned to the room, the other girls were gone. I decided to put a little extra effort into my appearance for the day, using a curling iron to add soft waves to my hair, and going a little heavier on the eye makeup than I usually would during the day. Finally I put on a bikini with a cutout in front that nicely showed off my cleavage, the white colour of the swimsuit contrasting sharply with the tan I was developing after a week in the sun.

As I was about to leave, the door opened and Henrik walked in.

“Oh! Sorry Josie, I was just heading to the roof terrace. Care to join me?”

I smiled at him. “Sure, why not? We haven’t had much opportunity to talk.”

He grinned and opened the terrace door, gesturing for me to go through. “After you, m’lady!”

I laughed as I entered the terrace and sat on one of the benches. He followed me but instead of sitting down he placed his elbows on the ledge and stared out across the hillside.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” He asked. “I just wish I could go explore it all. A luxury villa is nice, but when I travel I want to see the countryside.”

“You’re quite the adventurer, aren’t you?”

“You got me,” he grinned, looking over his shoulder at me. “Nothing better than getting out in nature, just strap on your hiking boots and go.” He turned around and sat facing me. “You said you grew up in Canada, right?”

“Yeah! I’m surprised you remember that.”

He smiled, his eyes taking on a cheeky glint. “Nice countryside in Canada, yeah?”

“It’s beautiful. Have you been?”

He shook his head. “Not yet, but it’s on the list, for sure. Might need a tour guide, though.”

I laughed. “But then it wouldn’t be an adventure, would it?”

“Ooh, ouch. Rejected!” He joked, then his face turned serious. “You and me are a bit alike, I think. We both moved to the UK from different countries. Do you still have family in Canada?”

I nodded. “My dad, and his family. I have a lot of cousins on his side, but I hardly ever get to see them. It always makes going back so special, though, because we try to get as much of the family together as possible for a few days. What about you?”

“Same. I have a big family, but mostly everyone lives in Sweden. I visit as often as I can, but I never remember any of it. Any night where my cousins are involved is just a blur of beer and lutefisk.”

“Lute-what?”

“Lutefisk! It’s a holiday tradition! It’s fish, usually cod, that’s been dried out for preservation and then re-hydrated before cooking. Generally consumed with lots of beer.”

I screwed my face in disgust. “Why not just eat it fresh?”

He shrugged. “Tradition? It’s really not as bad as it sounds. Anyway, it’s always a fun time with the cousins.”

We chatted for a few more minutes before we both decided to head back downstairs. Once outside, he headed to the gym while I walked over to the lawn where Lottie, Priya, Rahim, and Gary were hanging out on the beanbags. I dropped onto a beanbag next to Priya.

“The heart of the villa, home to some of the world’s most thirsty wildlife,” Gary was saying, doing his best David Attenborough impression. “And it’s mating season.”

“What are we talking about?” I whispered into Priya’s ear.

She nodded her head in the direction of the daybeds, where Rocco and Marisol were lying together. They looked cosy, Marisol giggling and touching Rocco’s arm flirtatiously.

“This is the Roccous Maximus, or Rocco, on the hunt for a female to mother the next generation of Roccos,” Gary continued.

_Now that’s a scary thought._

Marisol moved closer towards Rocco as he threaded his arm around her, and she started playing with his hair.

“To mesmerize his chosen mate, the Rocco displays his large—”

As one, the girls whipped their heads around to look at Gary.

“—curly plumage.”

“I was gonna say!” Lottie laughed.

“If sufficiently impressed, the female will use this hair to build her nest.”

As if on cue, Marisol chose that moment to remove her hand from Rocco’s hair and stand up, grabbing her water bottle and heading towards the kitchen.

“Disappointment,” Gary said with a sombre expression, before joining in with our laughter.

“That was so funny!” Lottie laughed. “I don’t think even Bobby could top that.”

_DING!_

Rahim looked at his phone. “I’VE GOT A TEXT!” he yelled, and the other islanders came over to listen. “’Islanders, it’s time to find out the public is saying in today’s challenge, Mean Tweets. #tweetnsour’”

“Oooh, this should be interesting!” Priya exclaimed.

_Oh shit. This could be drama._

A few minutes later we were on the challenge platform, where five tables had been set up, each holding a small chalkboard. A larger chalkboard sat on the side to be used as a scoreboard.

Bobby came up next to me and laid his head on my shoulder. “Phew! All that running in slow motion really wipes me out.”

“Huh?” My brow furrowed in confusion. “But we were—oh! I get it.” I wrapped one arm around his waist and patted his cheek with the other. “You really need to cut down on the cupcakes, hun.”

“Hey! If I don’t get to eat them, then I’m not baking them, and then _you_ ,” he tapped me on the nose, “don’t get to eat them either.”

I pouted at him, but he shook his head.

“Fine. At least join me in the gym and we’ll do some cardio. We’ll get you in shape for slow motion running in no time!”

He laughed and gave my shoulder a squeeze before joining Marisol at their table. I turned to look for Rocco, only to find Lucas at my side instead.

“Ready for all your secrets to be revealed?” he asked with a smirk.

I grimaced, and snuck a peak over at Gary, who was doodling on his chalkboard. “Are you kidding? Between this Rocco drama and tonight’s dumping, the last thing I want is for more drama to kick off.”

“Well let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, then,” he said. “But you know how these challenges are. I would prepare for the worst.”

I sighed, knowing he was right. _Definitely did not need this today._

Henrik’s phone beeped with the challenge instructions. “’Islanders, it’s time for some Twitter Bingo. Henrik and Lucas will take turns reading tweets from the public about goings-on around the villa, but the names will be blanked out. The couple with the most correct answers will win the challenge. #Roasted #WigSnatched’”

_Let’s just hope there’s been other ‘goings-on’ around the villa that will take some of the attention off…_

“I’m literally so hyped for this one!” Priya squealed.

“Oh my days, same here!” Hope grinned. “This is, like, our first real glimpse of what the public thinks of us.”

_Let’s hope they hate you as much as I do right now._

“Anyone got any dirty laundry they’d like to air before we get started?” Bobby asked, tilting his chair back. “You know, before we all find out through the challenge anyway.”

_If you only knew…_

Henrik looked confused. “I actually have a few pairs of old socks back in the villa…”

“He means untold secrets,” Lottie smiled at him.

Lucas playfully nudged Gary with his elbow. “This could get pretty savage, huh?”

I shot him a look, before turning to take a seat. Just my luck, Rocco and I were sitting directly opposite Gary and Lottie.

Lucas picked up the first card and cleared his throat. “Alright, here’s the first tweet.” He held it up for us to see as he read it out.

**@dreamydarlingXo**

**__________ is so bad at chatting up girls, it’s actually adorable**

_I would say it’s Rocco, except for the adorable part._

“What do you think?” Rocco asked. “I wouldn’t have a clue.”

I chewed my lip, thinking back to the first few nights when we did chat-up lines, then took the chalkboard and wrote ‘Rahim’ on it.

When each team had written their answers, we flipped our chalkboards over. They all said ‘Rahim,’ and Lucas peeled away the sticker on the card to reveal that we were all correct.

Rahim slumped his shoulders. “Chat-up lines are hard…”

“It is adorable, though, hun,” Priya smiled at him, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Sometimes it’s better when guys aren’t too smooth.”

“You all got that one right, so all of you get the point,” Lucas said, turning to mark the scoreboard.

Henrik held up the next card.

**@chefjake1990**

**You can do better than him, _________ <3**

Some of the islanders gasped.

“That’s, err… intense,” Hope said, looking around at the others. “But it’s not me, in any case,” she turned to Noah with a smile.

_You think that’s intense? I have a feeling we’re just getting started._

“Yeah, if anything I’m punching above my weight with Rahim, so I’m out,” Priya said.

_Not true, Priya. Not true at all._

“Don’t be silly,” Rahim said, turning to Priya. “You’re a solid 10/10, babe.”

I looked over at Rocco to confer with him.

“Maybe you should get this one, too,” he said. “I’d just feel bad ragging on one of my boys like that.”

_Well unless the public has seen a lot more than what we’re aware of, there’s only one person this could possibly be referring to – even if I disagree._

I wrote Marisol’s name on the chalkboard and turned it around. Most of the others said the same, although Lottie and Gary had written ‘Josie’ on theirs. I gave them a brief smile.

Henrik peeled the sticker off the card, revealing Marisol’s name. She looked annoyed, especially since Bobby was holding their board with her name on it. I raised an eyebrow as I caught his eye, but he just shrugged in response.

“Marisol can do better than who?” Gary asked. “Bobby’s great!”

Lottie coughed. “Rocco, obviously…”

“What?” Rocco glared. “I’m not the one she’s coupled up with.”

“Only because there hasn’t been a recoupling since you guys started cracking on,” Lottie threw back.

“I don’t know what you’re on about.”

“Quit acting innocent and get a fucking clue!” Lottie yelled back, pushing her chair back as she stood and pointed her finger at him from across the platform. “First you dumped me out of the blue for someone who never gave you _any_ encouragement, then you secretly tried to graft all the other girls until you found one sweet enough to believe your bullshit, and _then_ you used a challenge to get off with her! I don’t know what game you think you’ve been playing, but you’ve gone about things all wrong!”

“Whoa, calm down, Lozza!” Gary put his hand on her arm, but she swatted him away, and he jumped back in surrender.

“There’s a right way and a wrong way to go about things in here, _Rocco_ ,” she spat, “and you’ve done everything the _wrong_ way. Clearly the public sees that too, which is good because it means you’ll be voted out tonight!”

She picked up her chair from where it had fallen and dropped herself into it, leaning back with her arms crossed.

Rocco looked dumbfounded. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

 _Thank you_ , I mouthed to her, and she gave me a wink and a slight smile.

_I think she enjoyed that._

The others just sat in silence, looking around at each other in shock and some amusement. Marisol sat there with a sheepish look on her face, refusing to look up.

Lucas cleared his throat. “Moving on, then… ah, here’s a good one.”

**@pineappleshandy43**

**Is _________ here for love or just to show off his abs?**

There were some snickers across the challenge stage.

_That could be a few guys… except Bobby, of course._

I turned to Rocco. “I’d say the guys with the best abs are Noah, Rahim, and Henrik… any ideas? You might have a better idea of what the guys are saying.”

He shrugged, still glaring at Lottie.

_I guess I’m on my own, then. I would say Rahim, but we already had one for him… Henrik? He’s proud of his body, but he’s not over-the-top with it. Noah? He’s pretty quiet, he seems to be more serious._

Finally I just wrote ‘Rahim’ on my board. It didn’t seem right, but it was the most obvious answer.

Lucas removed the sticker. “And, it’s Henrik!” he laughed.

Gary stood. “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you… Henrik’s abs!” He waved his arms in Henrik’s direction.

Henrik just grinned, and struck a pose. “It’s all natural, folks! This is what an active lifestyle can get you!”

He picked up the next card and held it up.

**@animefangirl21**

**Nah, ________ deserves better than ________. She doesn’t like him, she likes 50k**

Everyone gasped, except for Lucas and Henrik. Lucas looked over at me with a smirk. I raised an eyebrow at him, but he just shrugged back.

_Okay, weird… wait, what did he say when he first came in? Something about people playing a game? Is this what he was talking about?_

“Sucks to be this dude,” Rocco drawled.

“At least this time you know for sure it’s not about you,” I smirked. “Nobody’s after you for the 50k.”

“Oh, get over yourself already,” he snapped back.

I was about to respond when Bobby caught my eye. He was whispering furiously at Marisol and trying to grab their chalkboard, but she turned her body away from him as she wrote, a smug expression on her face.

_What’s that about?_

Lucas cleared his throat. “Josie, you guys haven’t written anything yet.”

“Oh! Shoot.” I looked around at the couples, until my eyes rested on Hope.

_Hope? She’s been all over Noah since day one, and voted for Lucas even though she said she liked him…_

“Oh, hell no.”

All eyes turned to me.

“Oh shit, did I say that out loud? Ignore me!” I ducked my head down over my chalkboard.

_Fucking bitch!_

I furiously wrote the names ‘Noah’ and ‘Hope.’

_If she thinks voting out Lucas is going to give her a better chance of winning this damn thing, she’s got another thing coming to her._

I turned my board over, as others did the same. Noah and Hope had written ‘Rahim’ and ‘Priya,’ while Rahim and Priya, and Gary and Lottie had both written ‘Noah’ and ‘Hope.’

Hope gasped when she saw the boards with her name. “What?!”

I looked over at Marisol, who was smugly holding up her board. On it were the names ‘Lucas’ and ‘Josie.’ I lifted an eyebrow, more amused at her pettiness than upset. Bobby looked stricken, and mouthed an apology.

 _It’s okay_ , I mouthed back. He relaxed, giving me a smile.

Henrik peeled back the stickers, revealing ‘Noah’ and ‘Hope.’

“I have no idea where anyone got that idea,” Hope said defensively. “It’s not about the money for me, I’m here to find someone! It’s not my fault I found him right away!”

“I believe you,” Noah turned to her with a smile.

I rolled my eyes. _Lucas hinted at this three days ago, already. What has the public seen that the rest of us don’t know about? Did she say anything in the Beach Hut?_

“Thanks, Noah, sweetie,” Hope gave him her sweetest smile, along with a quick peck on the lips.

_Gross. So fake. Get out of there, Noah!_

Lucas picked up the next card.

**@bananat**

**Is it just me or did ________ really dodge a bullet when ________ ditched him? She spends all her time grafting on other guys!**

Gary whistled.

_It can’t be Hope or Priya, and Lottie and Marisol are the ones that got ditched… oh, shit. Is that what people are thinking?_

I wrote Bobby’s name, followed by my own, then turned over my board. Everyone else did the same. All the boards contained the same names. I kept my eyes down, not wanting to see the expressions on everyone else’s faces.

Everyone was silent, silent enough that I could hear the stickers being pulled off the card. “Bobby and Josie,” Lucas said quietly.

Rocco laughed. “Miss high-and-mighty, grafts on other guys but doesn’t like it when I do the same?”

“Oh, fuck off, you little prick!” My face flushed, and I stood as I yelled at him, digging my fingernails into my palms. “I told you to your face that I was going to crack on with Gary, I didn’t go behind anyone’s back! I had no problem with you getting to know Marisol, but finding out during a fucking _challenge_ wasn’t the nicest way for everyone to learn about it! Especially since the reason you kissed her is because she was the only one gullible enough to fall for your bullshit!”

Suddenly there was a firm, freckled brown chest in front of me, and arms around me. I tried to look around them to keep yelling at Rocco, but found myself being moved further from my table.

“Shh, Josie, shh,” a voice said calmly. “He’s not worth your energy. Take a deep breath.”

I inhaled and exhaled slowly, then looked up to find Bobby’s amber eyes looking down at me with concern. He brought a hand up to my face, stroking my cheek softly.

“These challenges are just to mess with our heads and create drama. Don’t let them second-guess yourself. That tweet means nothing to me, and you’ve done nothing wrong. Don’t listen to anyone that tries telling you otherwise. Got it?”

I nodded slowly.

He turned and walked me back to my table, arm still around my waist. Rocco sat sprawled on his chair, an amused expression on his face. He opened his mouth to start speaking, but Bobby cut him off.

“Fuck off, mate,” he said.

“What?”

“Move,” he waved his hand. “Go sit with Marisol.”

Rocco’s brow furrowed. “This is a couple’s challenge.”

“Yeah? Well now I’m telling you to get your ass out of that chair and go sit somewhere else. I’ll finish the game with Josie.”

Rocco hesitated.

“Just fucking go, man!”

Rocco grumbled as he stood up and walked to the other side of the stage where Marisol sat, taking a seat next to her.

Bobby led me to my seat, then dropped into Rocco’s vacated chair. He took my hand and squeezed it lightly, then intertwined his fingers with mine and rested our hands on his thigh.

“Just one tweet left, guys,” Henrik said, picking up the last card and holding it up.

**@hazelburst**

**That moment when ________ couples up then sticks it on someone else first chance he gets.**

My stomach dropped.

_And there it is… as if this challenge couldn’t get any worse._

“Oh. My. Days,” Hope said with a gasp.

I avoided looking across at Gary, feeling his gaze on me and not wanting to bring any attention to myself.

Bobby picked up my chalkboard with his free hand. “Do you want me to get this one?” he asked softly.

I looked up at him sharply. “Do you know…?”

He shrugged. “Not a clue. It’s not me, at any rate. Noah, maybe? He was stuck between Hope and Priya, so that might make sense. Can’t see Rahim doing that, and the Rocco stuff didn’t start until the new boys came in. Gary and I have gotten close, I reckon he might’ve said something if it was him.”

_Shit. What do I say? Do I tell him? There’s not enough time to explain…_

“Just… just put whatever. I don’t care about the challenge anymore.”

He removed his hand from mine and picked up the chalk, writing Noah’s name on the board.

_No wait, I should tell him._

“Bobby…” I started to say, but he flipped the board around before turning to me.

“Yeah?” he asked.

“Um. Never mind,” I said, looking instead around the platform at the other couples’ boards. There was a mix of names, Bobby’s and Gary’s among them. Lottie’s and Gary’s board had the name ‘Rocco’ written on it, and I raised my eyebrows as I finally brought myself to meet Gary’s gaze. He shrugged, tilting his head to indicate that Lottie had made the choice.

_I guess neither of us could bring ourselves to own up to it. That all changes in 3, 2, 1…_

Henrik ripped off the sticker from the card.

**@hazelburst**

**That moment when Gary couples up then sticks it on someone else first chance he gets.**

All eyes turned to Gary. He sheepishly looked down, as if he wished he were anywhere else but there in that moment.

Lottie’s face turned pale, then her cheeks flushed with anger.

“YOU?!” She turned and glared at him. “What the fuck, Gary? You picked me, let me think we might have a chance at something, but meanwhile you were going behind my back to get off with someone else?!”

“I—” Gary started.

“The _first_ _chance_ you got?” her voice raised, and she stood up to face him. “What’s that’s even supposed to mean? How long did you wait after calling my name at the firepit before you were locking lips with another girl?”

“It wasn’t—”

“And then,” she raised the chalkboard, “you just sat there letting me speculate who it could have been, knowing you were about to be caught out, and you didn’t even have the balls to _say something_?!”

“I didn’t—”

“Who was it, Gary?” Lottie slammed the board down in front of him, causing him to jump. She then gripped the sides of the table as she leaned forward, her face inches from his. He simply stared down at the chalkboard, dumbfounded. “Who. Was. It?”

His mouth opened and closed, and he kept his eyes down.

The others all sat in silence, some with eyes glued to the scene in front of them, others looking around at each other in suspicion.

Lottie continued to glare at Gary, but he refused to rat me out.

Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I cleared my throat.

“It was me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like it, let me know!


	15. Fallout

“It was me.”

Lottie’s head whipped around as she turned to look at me in shock. “Josie! How could you?!”

Rocco threw his head back in laughter. “Oh, this is rich!”

“I’m sorry, Lottie. I—”

“I thought we were friends!” Her eyes began welling up with tears. “I supported you through the last couple days with the Rocco situation, and now I find out you did the exact same thing behind my back?”

“It’s not like that!”

“I’m not interested in hearing your excuses, Josie,” she spat. “You couldn’t have Gary but you went ahead and kissed him anyway, and then didn’t even have the decency to tell me about it. As far as I’m concerned, you’re every bit as bad as Rocco!”

With that she turned, running from the challenge stage back towards the villa.

The others sat there stunned.

“Should someone go after her?” Gary stood, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

“No, I think she just needs a bit of space right now,” Marisol said. She turned to look at me smugly. “She’s had a bit of a shock.”

“I’d like to hear more about this kiss,” Rocco smirked, leaning back in his chair. “Seems a bit hypocritical, don’t you think?”

“Oh, shut the hell up, already!” I snapped. “I already told you I had no problem with the two of you cracking on – you deserve each other! I’m not telling anyone about the kiss until I’ve spoken to Lottie. She’s the only one that deserves an explanation.”

“What was it you said to me a few minutes ago?” Rocco snapped his fingers a few times, trying to remember. “Oh, right! Something about it not being nice learning about me and Marisol during a challenge! That’s pretty funny, considering we all just learned about your kiss with Gary… during a challenge.”

“Okay, that’s _enough!_ ” Noah yelled loudly, banging on his table with his fist. The rest of us jumped, turning to him in shock. “Settle down, everyone, please! We’re losing two guys tonight, so let’s put any issues we have on the back burner until after that, okay? Rocco, Josie, can you agree to ignore each other the rest of the day?”

“That shouldn’t be hard to do,” I said. Rocco just nodded with a smirk.

“Come on, guys!” Hope said with an exaggerated smile. “Let’s bring back the hype – I want to know who won this challenge!”

Henrik looked over the chalkboards and tallied up the score.

“The winners are… Priya and Rahim!”

“Yay!” Priya smiled, then leaned over and gave Rahim a peck on the cheek. He smiled shyly, looking down at the ground in embarrassment.

Her phone beeped. “Ooh, I got a text! ‘Congratulations, Priya and Ibrahim. Head over to the jacuzzi for your prize – there’s a bottle of champers on us. #bubbleswithbae #hotfizz’ Oh my gosh, this is going to be amazing! Champers in the hot tub, here I come!”

“Congrats, guys,” I gave her a smile.

“Let’s start heading back,” Hope said, taking hold of Noah’s hand as she began walking towards the villa. The others got up to follow.

I let them go ahead of me and fell into step next to Priya. She put an arm around me and gave me a squeeze.

“You’ll be alright,” she said. “Lottie will come around, eventually.”

I sighed. “I hope so. I never meant to hurt her. I just… I’m really annoyed at the fact that Rocco’s right. I did the exact same thing he did, except I’ve been keeping it a secret much longer. I don’t blame her for being angry.”

“She does have a right to be angry, but I’m sure you had a reason for not wanting to tell her. Just give her some space, and eventually she’ll be ready to listen.”

“Thanks, Pri. What would I do without you?”

“Oh, I’m sure you’d be just fine. I’m not the only one who cares about you – speaking of which, where’s Bobby?”

I looked at the other islanders walking ahead of us, but she was right – Bobby wasn’t there. I stopped and turned to look behind us. Bobby was only now starting to descend the challenge stage stairs.

I turned back to Priya, and she nodded. “Go,” she said.

I started walking back towards the stage, meeting Bobby in the middle as he trudged along with his eyes down.

“Bobby? Are you okay?”

He stopped, looking up and noticing me for the first time. He frowned, then continued walking.

“Bobby, wait!” I grabbed his arm, and he stopped again.

He looked at me with a hurt expression on his face. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

I swallowed. “I don’t know! I couldn’t.”

He shook his head and started moving again. I quickly moved in front of him, turning and placing my hands against his chest, and he stopped again.

“Please, I can’t handle you being angry with me, too,” I pleaded.

“I’m not angry, Josie. I just…” he looked off into the distance, considering his words, before looking back at me. “I’m disappointed that you didn’t say anything. You didn’t even have to tell me straight out, all you had to do was tell me to write Gary’s name, and I would have understood! But for some reason you couldn’t even do that, despite knowing it was about to come out anyway.”

“I’m sorry! I wanted to tell you, really.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Wanted to? You told me to write whatever. I put _Noah’s_ name down, for heaven’s sake – Noah’s my _friend_ , and I accused him of something he would probably never do!”

“I— I don’t know what to say.”

He shook his head. “I thought, after everything, that you would be able to trust me. I guess I thought you cared more than you actually do.”

He pushed past me and walked swiftly towards the villa, leaving me staring at his departing figure.

My knees buckled, and I lowered myself to the ground, wrapping my arms around my legs and resting my head on my knees.

_Way to go, Josie. Way to fucking go._

The first few days in the villa, everything had been great. I was friends with everyone, I had a few romantic options, and it was looking like this whole Love Island thing was going to be a really great experience – way better than I expected when I had found out I had made it on the show. But these last few days, despite having their bright spots, were a disaster.

And it had all started when that idiotic hippie had picked me at the recoupling, setting off a chain reaction of events that had me at odds with half the villa. Priya was the only girl I was currently on good terms with, and between today’s drama and tonight’s dumpings, I wasn’t sure where I stood with any of the boys.

_Ugh. This is not how I expected this summer to go._

I stood up, wiping off bits of grass, and walked back to the villa. I entered through the front door, then turned towards the bedroom to walk through to the lawn.

When I entered the bedroom, I stopped abruptly.

“What are you doing?”

Lucas looked up at the sound of my voice and gave me a small smile. He indicated towards the suitcase laid open on his bed.

“I’m packing,” he said.

“I can see that, but why? We don’t know that you’re going yet.”

He shrugged. “Just a feeling, that’s all. Besides, I was waiting for you to come back. If I do have to go tonight, then I wanted to spend as much time as possible with you, while I still can.” He closed the suitcase, then turned to me with a smile. “You’re here now, so why don’t we spend the rest of the afternoon together?”

I eyed the suitcase. “Okay, but I don’t want to see that suitcase or hear anything about the possibility of you leaving tonight.”

“Deal,” he said, smiling and holding out his hand. “Care for a swim?”

I took the offered hand, intertwining our fingers as I smiled up at him. “I’d love to.”

His eyes glinted as he smirked, then he pulled me towards the door.

“Ah!” I squealed, “Slow down!”

Lucas’ long legs kept up a steady pace as he pulled me behind him, and I was practically running to keep up with him. We passed the kitchen, then the daybeds, and I could feel the other islanders’ eyes staring at me as we moved by them. Finally we reached the edge of the pool, and he stopped, turning to unclip the microphone belt around my waist.

“Why does this feel like you’re undressing me?” I giggled.

“Would you like that?” he smirked, tossing the microphone onto the ground. I just bit my lip in response, and he held my gaze as he unclipped his own mic. He grabbed my hand again. “Ready?”

I nodded, and together we turned and jumped into the deep end of the pool.

We goofed around for some time together, Lucas showing a playful side to him that I hadn’t yet seen. Eventually we drifted over to the far edge of the pool, resting our arms on the side as we looked over the edge into the countryside beyond.

“Lucas,” I said, lowering my head to my arms. “What did you think about the tweets during the challenge?”

“They were bullshit, mostly.”

“Were they, though? Some of them seemed fairly accurate.”

“Is this about the one that said Bobby dodged a bullet when you ‘ditched’ him?” He shook his head. “That was the biggest bullshit of them all.”

“Don’t you think you’re a little biased?” I gave him a little nudge, and he smiled back at me.

“I’m definitely biased, but as someone who’s gotten to know you better than the public does, I strongly disagree with the tweet. If anything, Bobby was punching above his weight class being coupled up with you.”

I blushed as he took his arms off the ledge, repositioning his body behind my own and wrapping his arms around mine as he rested them back on the ledge, effectively pinning me between himself and the pool wall. He moved his head over my shoulder, lips close to my ear.

“Do you think the public likes me?” I asked quietly.

“It was still early days when I came in, but yes, I think most people liked you. I don’t think that should change based on a couple bad days, even if you did get a little… fiery.”

_Fiery? That’s one way of putting it._

I sighed. “I don’t know… sometimes I wonder, if I treated Rocco better from the start maybe none of this would have happened.”

He let out a low growl. “Don’t blame yourself for any of it. None of it’s your fault, and Rocco will leave tonight, I can assure you of that.”

I turned in his arms, wrapping my own around his neck to support myself in the deep water. “Do you know who voted for you?”

He hesitated. “I have a sneaking suspicion.”

I looked over his shoulder at the daybeds, where Hope and Lottie were sitting. Lottie sat facing me, and even from this distance I could tell she was glaring at me.

“It was Hope,” I said, turning my face back towards Lucas. He didn’t react, confirming that he already suspected her. “I haven’t confronted her yet.”

“Don’t do it,” he shook his head. “She’s not worth it, and you’ll just be creating more drama for yourself.”

_Ugh. More drama is the last thing I need._

“Do you think the tweet about her was right?”

He smirked. “There was definitely some speculation about that already in the early days, so that one didn’t surprise me.”

I wrapped my legs around his waist for extra support while I moved one of my hands to his face, gently tracing his jaw. His eyebrows raised as he looked down at me, his eyes dark and intense.

“Do you think she voted for you so that we couldn’t get together?” I asked softly, my thumb caressing his lower lip.

Lucas’ breath hitched and he pushed his body into mine, backing me up into the wall. I could feel his arousal against me as he buried his face in my hair, and I tightened the grip my legs had around his waist to bring our bodies closer still.

His lips began trailing soft kisses along my neck, up towards my jaw, and I tilted my head back to give him better access, closing my eyes and moaning softly. He kissed his way up my jaw, and I lifted my head back up to offer him my mouth.

The kisses stopped, and I opened my eyes to see him smirking back at me.

“Lucas!” I whined. “Stop doing that and kiss me properly, already!”

He laughed. “But teasing you is so much fun! And besides,” he lowered his voice, “once I start, I won’t want to stop. The deep end of a pool in broad daylight with everyone watching isn’t exactly what I had in mind for our first time together.”

“Oh?” I smirked. “You’ve been thinking about that already, have you?” I bit my lip seductively, and he groaned.

I unwrapped myself from around his body, then gave him a peck on the cheek. “I’d better not tempt you, then. I think it’s time to start getting ready for tonight.”

“I think I’m going to swim some laps first.”

“Hm, I wonder why,” I smirked, then swam to the other side of the pool, climbing out the stairs and grabbing my microphone and belt on the way back to the villa.

*********

The atmosphere in the dressing room was frosty as the girls got ready for the evening. Lottie was doing everything in her power to avoid looking in my direction, and although I was relieved to be spared her usual snarky comments, I also knew that her silence was a sign that I had hurt her more deeply than I had anticipated.

“I feel like I’m going to a funeral,” Hope said under her breath.

_Is that intended to make us feel any better? Because it’s not working._

“The last funeral I was at, I didn’t wear this much makeup,” Priya joked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“So who do you think is going home tonight?” Hope asked.

_Are you serious right now? Read the fucking room!_

“It better not be Bobby,” Lottie said sharply, not looking up from her makeup mirror.

Marisol sighed. “I keep hoping this is all just a bad dream and nobody has to go home. I know you guys don’t think much of Rocco, but I’ve really connected with him these past couple days.”

I rolled my eyes.

_You connected, all right._

I quickly put the finishing touches on my makeup and stood to head downstairs.

_Let them gossip without me… they’d probably prefer that anyway so they can talk shit about me behind my back._

I made my way downstairs and headed outside to the kitchen to find a drink. As I entered, the refrigerator door closed, revealing Bobby standing there. He started when he saw me.

“Oh! Hi Josie,” he mumbled.

“Hey,” I said awkwardly. “Just wanted to see what’s available to drink tonight.”

He shrugged. “Just the usual, wine and beer.”

“Pass me a beer, then, will you?”

He reopened the fridge and pulled out two Love Island-branded beer cans, passing one to me.

I pulled myself up onto the counter and popped open the can, taking a swig. “What I wouldn’t give for a good whiskey right about now.”

He raised his eyebrows, the corner of his mouth lifting into a smirk. “I could go for a nice fine _scotch_ , myself. You know, the _real_ good stuff.”

I clutched my chest as if wounded. “Oof, this poor little Irish girl is going to pretend she didn’t hear that.”

He grinned, and any awkwardness between us melted away. “I’ve got much to teach you out about the finer things in life, don’t I?”

I gave him a mock glare. “We’ll see who’s the one doing the teaching!”

“Oh, it’s _on_ ,” he smacked the counter. “As soon as we’re out of here, we’re having a scotch party.”

“Did I hear ‘scotch party’?” Gary came running out of the villa with a huge grin. He saw the beer cans in our hands and his face fell. “Oh. No scotch?”

I laughed. “No, Gaz, no scotch. We’re talking about when we’re out of the villa.”

“Oh. Plenty of time before then, though, right?”

I nearly choked on my beer. “Gary! You do realize there’s a dumping tonight? You never know when any of us could be going home.”

“Oh, shit,” he grimaced, giving Bobby an apologetic look. “Sorry, mate. I guess with all the drama today it kind of slipped my mind.”

Bobby shrugged. “No worries. How are things with Lottie?”

Gary shook his head as his shoulders dropped in defeat. “She won’t even talk to me. I think we’re done.”

Bobby reached out and gave Gary’s shoulder a squeeze. “Sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah, well,” Gary looked towards me. “I gave it a shot, but we all know she was never my first choice to begin with.”

I gave him a soft smile, then threw back the rest of my beer before speaking. “We should probably have a chat. About today, and everything.”

“Yeah, we should. Shall we go to the swing?”

“Sure, just give me a minute,” I said. He nodded and left the kitchen, heading towards the raised garden where the swinging bench was set up.

I lowered myself off the counter and turned to Bobby. He was leaning against the fridge, his arms folded across his chest and eyes focused on the ground.

“I just want to apologize again for the challenge today.”

He looked up at me. “It’s okay, you don’t have to—”

“Yes, I do,” I interrupted. “I was only thinking about myself, and didn’t stop to consider your feelings. You’ve been there for me already so many times, you stood up to Rocco for me, and I should have swallowed my fucking pride and been honest with you. So, I’m sorry.”

“Really, Josie, it’s okay—”

“Just accept my apology, dammit, or I’m not drinking scotch with you!”

His eyes widened. “Okay fine! Apology accepted!”

“Good,” I smiled, and held out my arms. “Hug?”

He unfolded his arms and I moved into them, hugging him tightly.

“C’mon, Gary’s waiting for you,” he said softly, and I reluctantly released him.

“Thanks, B. For everything. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

He squeezed my shoulder. “Eh, you’d figure something out. You’re stronger than you think.”

I smiled up at him before starting to head out of the kitchen to follow Gary, only to turn suddenly.

“Oh, and Bobby?”

He was walking towards the lawn, but turned at the sound of my voice, giving me a questioning look.

“I do trust you,” I said softly, just loud enough for him to hear. “More than anyone else in the villa.”

He smiled, his eyes softening. “Thank you,” he said, then turned again and walked away.

I made my way up to the swinging bench where Gary was lying on his back, staring up at his phone as he waited for me. He looked up as I approached and swung his legs down off the bench, sitting up to make room for me beside him. I sat and curled my legs under me.

“So,” he said, “about today’s challenge…”

I sighed, picking up a cushion to give myself something to fiddle with. “What a mess, eh? How are you feeling?”

“Not great, to be honest. Lottie’s a great girl, even if she isn’t the one for me. I never wanted to hurt her, and certainly not like that.”

“I feel like such an eejit for not telling her sooner,” I said. “I know how much ‘girl code’ means to her. I should have told her right after the kissing challenge.”

Gary nodded. “I tried to talk to her today, but she totally blew me off.”

“I think it might be better coming from me… whenever she’s ready to listen. Who knows when that will be?”

He looked thoughtful. “Do you think she’ll place a hex on us?”

“A wha—? No!” I laughed. “She may be into tarot and crystals, but I don’t think she’s the type to—” My eyes widened and I clutched my throat with one hand, reaching out and grabbing Gary’s arm with the other as I choked.

“Josie?!” He turned pale as he gawked at me. “What’s going on?! Are you choking? Oh no, she didn’t—”

He put his arm out towards me to slap my back, and I burst into laughter. His face was a mixture of confusion and relief, before the joke finally dawned on him.

“You should’ve seen your face!” I laughed.

He gave me a begrudging smile, shaking his head. “You think you’re so funny, don’t you?”

I grinned, until I heard a shout from across the lawn.

Someone had gotten a text. It was time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to include the dumping in this chapter, but sp3194 told me not to, so blame her for the cliffhanger! 😂 I was easy to convince, so I will accept any hate comments you want to throw my way.


	16. Double Dumped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas, Bobby, and Rocco were voted "least dateable" by the girls and the public have had their say... who's staying, and who's going?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For viewers of the show, there's a nice little easter egg in this one. 😆

Bobby, Lucas, and Rocco stood in front of the firepit, each with their hands clasped behind them, and stoic expressions on their faces. The rest of us sat along the circular bench, waiting for the text that would announce the boys’ fate. The silence was excruciating.

I shifted my gaze between each of the boys standing in front of us, and I had to stifle a sardonic laugh at the fact that each of these boys had something in common – me.

_My past, present, and potential future, standing in front of me waiting to see which of them gets dumped._

I couldn’t bear to look any of them in the eye, so I focused my gaze on the flames between us.

“This is proper brutal,” Gary mumbled under his breath, before all fell silent again.

Finally, a phone buzzed.

“That’s me,” Noah said, pulling his phone out of his back pocket and looking at the screen. He stood to read the missive. “’Islanders, you’ve had your say, and now so has the public. It’s time to say goodbye to two boys.’” He looked around at us, then took a deep breath as his phone buzzed again. “’The first boy to be dumped from the Island is…’”

Silence, again. I found myself reaching next to me and grabbing Priya’s hand, squeezing it for all I was worth.

“’Rocco.’”

I closed my eyes, relief washing over me. From the other side of the firepit, I could hear Marisol sob and Hope move to comfort her.

I put my head in my hands as I waited for the text that I wished would never arrive. Would it say Bobby or Lucas? I honestly couldn’t decide which would devastate me more.

The seconds felt like minutes, hours even, as we waited, the stillness broken only by the chirping insects competing with Marisol’s continued sniffles.

Another phone went off, and I felt a vibration at my side.

_Those sick bastards!_

My hands shook as I picked up my phone, unlocking it and shoving it in Priya’s direction. “I can’t.”

She graciously accepted the phone and stood. I didn’t know where to look or what to do with my hands, so I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my face in my hands.

“’The second person to be dumped from the Island is…’”

A knot formed in my stomach, and I felt like I was going to be sick.

“’Lucas.’”

Relief. Devastation. Competing emotions rushed over me in waves as my eyes burned with hot tears, my shoulders shaking as my body was wracked with sobs. I only vaguely heard the sound of another phone going off, and Lucas’ voice reading a text aloud.

“… has come to an end… thirty minutes… say your goodbyes.”

The other islanders got up and gathered around the boys, hugging each in their turn and speaking words of consolation. I couldn’t move, my body glued to the bench. Who would I even go to first?

In the end, I didn’t have to choose, as someone was soon at my side, arms encircling me. I finally removed my hands from my face and buried it into his chest. I didn’t have to open my eyes to know it was Bobby, and my arms wrapped around him and held him tightly.

“Shh, lass. You can let go of me, I’m not going anywhere yet.”

“Thank God,” I breathed into his chest, his arms tightening around me.

“There’s someone else here who wants to talk to you.”

_Lucas._

I loosened my grip on Bobby’s waist, and he did the same as I lifted my head and sat up straighter, wiping the tears from my eyes.

“Thanks, B,” I said, giving him a small smile.

“I’ll catch you later,” he replied, wiping a stray tear from my cheek before standing. He turned to Lucas, pulling him into a quick embrace. “Sorry to see you go, mate. Do you need any help packing?”

“Thanks,” Lucas clapped him on the back, “But no, I’m pretty much done packing already.”

“Oh!” Bobby raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Alright, well, I’ll see you out front in a bit.” He gave me a small wave before heading towards the villa.

Lucas watched him walk off, then sat next to me, taking hold of my hand. “Well, I guess this is it, then.”

“It’s not fair!” I felt the tears welling up in my eyes again. “I wish you didn’t have to go.”

“Me too,” he said softly, turning my hand over in his and tracing my fingers gently with his. “I wish… I wish I had done things differently.”

“What do you mean?”

He lifted his gaze to mine. “When I came in here, I knew you were the only girl I was interested in, but I felt I had to take things slow, play the game. Be in control. Instead I wish I had just come in and swept you off your feet, focusing on you, and you only. Maybe then things would have gone differently, and we wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”

I lowered my eyes, not sure what to say.

“And then last night happened… and I’m kicking myself for not spending the night on the daybed with you. I should have spent every possible moment with you, making sure you knew how I felt.”

When I looked up again, his face was close enough that I could feel his breath on my cheek, and my heart started hammering in my chest.

“And finally, I wish that I had done this sooner,” he said, slowly leaning in towards me until finally our lips were touching. He brought his hands up to my face, pulling me closer to him as he deepened the kiss. My lips parted as I eagerly responded, pressing my body against his as my arms reached around him. He lowered his hands from my face and down my body to my hips, pulling me up onto his lap. All of my emotions of the past few days were channeled into our kiss, melting away along with the rest of the villa as we lost awareness of our surroundings, becoming the only two people in the universe.

Eventually I pulled away, gasping for air.

“Bet the other boys won’t kiss you like that,” Lucas smirked.

“What other boys?” I asked playfully. I drew my finger along his lips. “Kiss me again.”

He chuckled. “I’d rather make you wait for it.”

I removed my finger from his mouth, putting both my hands on the back of his neck as I brought my face closer to his once more, our lips just millimetres apart. His breath hitched in his throat and his arms tightened around me. I kept my lips suspended just above his, waiting to see which of us would break first. I couldn’t help but smile when his mouth came up to meet mine, this time in a slow and sensual kiss, our lips and tongues exploring each other gently.

“That didn’t feel like goodbye,” he said when we finally separated.

“Just goodbye for now,” I replied, leaning down once more to give him a couple quick pecks on his lips.

“Now don’t start that again, or I’m never going to get out of here.”

I grinned, then slid off his lap back onto the bench, while he put his arm around me. “Would that be so bad? Maybe we can hide you somewhere.”

He laughed. “There are literally cameras everywhere, I’m not sure that would work. I appreciate the thought, though. It’s going to suck being back on the outside, watching you on the TV, wondering what could have been.”

I sobered. “Maybe when I get out of here…”

He tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “I hope so. But I’m not going to hold you to it. As much as I hate to say this, you need to see how things go as long as you’re still in this villa. See if you can find a connection with someone else… just don’t try too hard, okay?”

I smiled. “We’ll have to see, maybe the next guy that comes in won’t tease me so damn much and will sweep me off my feet instead!”

“Oof,” he groaned. “I deserved that. Come on, I think we’re just about out of time.”

He stood, and I accepted the hand he offered me, allowing him to pull me to my feet. He intertwined his fingers with mine as we walked slowly back to the villa, both of us wishing the moment didn’t have to end.

We walked into the bedroom, which was already empty. Rocco must have finished his packing already, the other islanders waiting for us at the front of the villa.

Lucas’ suitcase sat on top of the bed he’d been sharing with Henrik. He paused, then turned to me.

“Could you do me a favour?” he asked.

“Okay…”

“Take care of Henrik for me, will you?”

My brow furrowed in confusion. “Take care of him? In what way?”

“I just want to make sure he has a friend in here, that’s all. I feel kind of protective of him, you know? We came in together.”

I shrugged, giving him a smile. “Sure, I think I can handle that.”

“Great,” he smiled, then reached for the suitcase, setting it on the floor and pulling up the handle.

I looked at the suitcase with a frown, then back up at Lucas. “Wait, you finished packing already?”

He smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, I finished while everyone was getting ready. I just wanted to make sure we had as much time to say goodbye to each other as we needed to.”

I crossed my arms. “I still don’t understand why you were so convinced you were going home. Is there something about you I don’t know about? Have you been playing me this whole time?”

“No!” he let go of the suitcase, grabbing my arms as he gave me an imploring look. I just returned his stare.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair and gripping the back of his neck. “Fuck. Okay, fine. The reason I was convinced I was going home is because of Bobby.”

_Huh?_

“I don’t understand.”

“We’re not supposed to talk about the public’s opinion, right? But as soon as Bobby’s name was announced and they said two of us were going home, I knew I had no chance. He’s popular with everyone in here, right? Well, he’s popular with the public, too. Really popular.”

I blinked. _Bobby’s a fan favourite?_

“If anyone else had been voted into the bottom three, I might have stood a chance.” He shrugged. “So, I made peace with the fact that I was going home, and here we are.”

_So the tweet today about me ditching Bobby… the public must hate me!_

A phone suddenly went off, causing us both to jump. Lucas pulled his out of his pocket, his mouth twisting as he looked at the screen.

“Time’s up,” he said, looking back up at me. “We have to go outside for our final goodbyes.”

The tears started welling up in my eyes again, and he wrapped an arm around my waist, grabbing the handle of his suitcase with his free hand. Together we walked out to the front of the villa, where the other islanders crowded around Rocco as he said his goodbyes. They turned to us as we walked up to the group, Lucas rolling his suitcase behind him.

“Lads. Ladies,” he nodded. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you all. I hope we all get to hang out when the summer’s over.”

He released my hand as he turned to Henrik, giving him a big bear hug.

“Stay solid, man,” he said as they separated.

“Yeah, I’ll try my best not to melt,” Henrik grinned.

Lucas laughed. “Mate, you’re already a melt. I like to think it’s part of your charm.”

The other islanders moved in, swamping Lucas with hugs and well wishes. I found myself on the outside of the group, suddenly feeling all alone.

“Gotta say, it’s gonna be weird watching you all on TV again,” Lucas was saying to the others.

“Mate, we’ll be hanging out again before you know it!” Henrik slapped him on the back.

Finally Lucas turned around, searching for me one last time. The islanders moved aside until there was no one between us, and I threw myself into his arms. He held me close as I wept freely, draining myself of tears.

“If Josie really liked him, then she should go as well, really,” Rocco’s voice sounded behind me, spite evident in his tone.

I snapped. In what seemed like an instant, I was no longer in Lucas’ arms, but standing in front of Rocco as he held the side of his face where I had slapped him.

“Just fuck _off_ already!” I yelled, getting up in his face. “I’m so sick of your stupid bullshit! You’ve made my life miserable the last few days, and now you can’t even let me have a proper goodbye without getting your digs in?!”

“Oh, you think you’re the innocent one in all this?” He snarled, pointing his finger in my face. “From the moment I picked you, you’ve done nothing but treat me with hostility! Did you think I kissed Marisol because I _liked_ her? I just wanted to give you a taste of your own medicine!”

There were gasps from the other islanders. I raised my hand to slap him again, but someone grabbed my wrist to stop me. I felt an arm snake around my waist, pulling me away from Rocco as he looked on with a smirk. I struggled, but couldn’t break free from the hold on me.

I stilled, knowing that struggle was useless, and the grip on my wrist and waist relaxed.

“Just let him go,” Bobby’s voice whispered into my ear. I nodded, and he released me.

I walked over to Lucas, lifting onto my toes to give him one final soft kiss.

“I’ll miss you,” I said quietly.

He nodded and smiled. “Till we meet again.”

With that he grabbed the handle of his suitcase and turned, walking down the long driveway alongside Rocco. After a few steps he looked over his shoulder, waving at me as I waved back.

I felt Bobby next to me as he wrapped his arm over my shoulders.

“Are you okay?”

I rested my head on his shoulder, putting my arm around his waist as I watched Lucas’ retreating form.

“I will be.”

*********

After spending some time in the Beach Hut discussing the dumpings, I quickly got ready for bed. As I was walking down the stairs, Gary came out of the bedroom carrying a pillow and duvet.

“Lottie kick you out of her bed?” I asked.

He nodded. “Figured I’d sleep on the couch. Too many bugs outside.”

“They’re not that bad, really,” I laughed. “Look, why don’t you take my bed? I’ve slept on the daybed enough lately that I’ll probably be more comfortable out there anyway, to be honest.”

His eyes lit up as he smiled at me gratefully. “Really? You’re a proper sort, Josie.”

“No problem,” I said, reaching over to give him a hug. “I’m sorry about you and Lottie.”

“Thanks, mate.”

We walked into the bedroom together, Lottie glaring at us both from her bed as she noticed us. I chose to ignore her, and my eyes drifted over to Henrik sitting against the headboard of the bed he had shared with Lucas. Remembering my promise to look out for him, I walked over and sat on the edge of the mattress.

“You look lonely,” I said as he noticed me.

He gave me a wan smile. “You could say that. We got pretty close, coming in together. It’s amazing how quickly you can go from complete strangers to great friends.”

I nodded. “I know what you mean. I guess we both had something special with him.”

“Yeah… I’m going to miss my big spoon,” he grinned.

I laughed. “Now there’s a picture. Well, if you need a substitute, you’re welcome to join me outside.”

_Did… did I just invite him to share a bed with me?_

“As friends!” I clarified quickly. “I mean, we can commiserate. Together.” I facepalmed.

He raised his eyebrows, and a slow smile spread across his face. “Yeah, sure, why not?”

“Guys, I got a text!” Priya exclaimed as she burst into the room. We all turned to her in anticipation. “’Islanders, tomorrow there will be a girls’ choice recoupling. #makeyourmoves #stillinthegame’”

_Seriously? If they were going to have a recoupling tomorrow, why didn’t they just keep the guys around and dump whoever wasn’t picked?_

“But everyone is happy with their current partners, right?” Hope’s voice cracked a bit as she looked around at the rest of us, her eyes wide.

I rolled my eyes. “You’re joking, right? Lottie and Gary broke up _today_ , Marisol’s obviously not happy with Bobby, and Henrik and I don’t even have partners.”

I noticed Noah’s eyes briefly look in Priya’s direction before he turned to reassure Hope. “Don’t worry yourself, duck.”

_Interesting. Very interesting._

“This recoupling couldn’t have come at a better time,” Lottie said coldly.

Hope laughed nervously. I looked over at Priya, but she wore her best poker face.

I turned back to Henrik. “I’ll be outside, alright?”

He nodded, so I stood and made my way outside to the daybed, slipping under the covers.

A few minutes later he joined me, and I shuffled over to make room for him.

“Did you want to cuddle, or would you rather have your own space tonight?” he asked.

I sighed. “Honestly, I could use a good cuddle. I’ve been missing out on couple cuddles since Rocco picked me.”

“Yeah, you’ve had a rough time in here so far, haven’t you?”

“That’s one way of putting it,” I said, playing with the ends of my hair. “I think I just need to start all over. Forget the past week, and move on.”

“Move on from Lucas?”

“I have to, don’t I?” I shrugged. “I mean, I like him, but I hardly know him. I can’t exactly spend the rest of my time here pining for him.”

He nodded. “Well, tomorrow there’s a recoupling. That can be your fresh start.”

“At least I won’t end up with Rocco again,” I laughed. “Whoever I end up with, I’m going to try harder to make a go of it. I don’t want to be stuck in an endless cycle of unhappy couples. I blame myself for a lot of what’s happened over the last few days, and I’m not going to make those same mistakes again.”

I let out a yawn, then looked over at Henrik. “So, where’s my cuddle?”

He grinned. “What do you prefer? I make a great big spoon, but little spoon would be cool, too.”

“You said Lucas was your big spoon, right? Why don’t you roll over.”

“Yes!” he laughed, rolling over so that he was facing away from me. I shuffled up closer to him, putting my arm around him.

Even if he was just a friend, it felt good to be sharing a bed with someone again.

Maybe, just maybe things would start looking up for me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After all the comments I've gotten on my last few chapters I really, really wanted to dump Bobby, but let's be real, if the public would absolutely love him if he was on the real show, so I'm trying to be realistic here!
> 
> (Also, more importantly, it would have totally messed up everything that's coming up.)
> 
> Leave me a comment to let me know what you think!


	17. It's Another Recoupling...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a recoupling, and the girls finally get to choose. Who's picking who?

My eyelids were heavy, fighting to shut out the brightness of the morning sun after a restless sleep. I brought a hand up to rub the sleep from my eyes, the movement causing my t-shirt to ride up, exposing my stomach. An arm tightened around my waist, and I suddenly realized I wasn’t alone.

_Lucas? No. Henrik._

I rolled over to face him, and his eye cracked open.

“Morning,” he said. “Sleep well?”

“Not great,” I responded, stifling a yawn. “Just thinking. About the past few days, and what I’m going to do next.”

“Oh? Make any decisions?”

“I think so. Starting with a cup of tea… when I can drag myself out of bed,” I burrowed myself deeper into the sheets, my face buried in my pillow.

“We should just spend all morning in bed,” he said. “I can’t remember the last time I had a good lie in... I never get the time. The climbing wall always opens at the crack of dawn for the morning crowd, and even when my shift starts later I like to go early to get a few climbs in myself.”

I lifted my head to look at him. “Do you at least sleep in on your days off?”

“Nah, it would mess up my routine.”

“So tragic. There’s nothing like a good lie in… although typically I’m up early as well, to get in a workout before heading to the office. Weekends and holidays, though? I don’t get up until I have to use the loo.”

“Well, we’re on holiday now… let’s stay in bed until everyone else gets up.”

I nodded, and he pulled the duvet over our heads to block out the sun’s morning rays. 

“So how does one become a climbing and survival instructor, anyway?”

“Why, did you want to become one?” he gave me a cheeky grin.

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t prevent the smile from forming on my lips.

“Well, I took some courses, and got a certificate—”

“No, I mean, how did you get into it? What made you want to do that with your life?”

“Oh!” his eyes lit up. “I guess it was just kind of natural. Apparently I was quite the handful as a kid, always climbing and getting into things. I have two older brothers, so I was always trying to keep up with them, trying to prove myself to them. Climb higher, run faster, stuff like that. My mum called me her ‘lilla apan’ – that’s Swedish for ‘little monkey.’”

I smiled at the nickname.

“My parents would send me to summer camp every year. I’m not sure if it was more for their benefit or mine, to be honest – but I loved it, and learned all sorts of outdoorsy things.”

“That sounds like fun.”

“It was,” he smiled fondly. “I wanted to become a camp counsellor, but then we moved to the UK for my father’s work, and I never got to go back.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Ah, it’s okay. There’s plenty to do in Isle of Wight, too, and I make it back to Sweden for visits whenever I can. But that’s basically it, I just loved anything outdoors so it made sense to do what I loved, right?”

I smiled sleepily, and I tried to stifle another yawn. “Sorry, I’m not bored, just tired still.”

“You can sleep, I don’t mind,” he said. “C’mere.”

I snuggled closer to him as he wrapped an arm around me, the warmth of his body helping me to drift quickly off to sleep again.

When I woke again, Henrik was gone. I sat up, noticing a disposable lidded cup resting on the headboard, with my name written on it. I picked it up and brought it to my nose, discovering that it was a cup of Earl Grey tea, still warm to the touch. I smiled at Henrik’s thoughtfulness, and took the tea with me as I left the bed and headed to the dressing room.

The girls were in varied states of readiness, the air smelling of strawberries. I didn’t join in their chatter, something about making the boys work for their attention before tonight’s recoupling. I rolled my eyes as I dug through my cupboard, looking for clean workout gear. I finally found a pair of shorts and a tank top and quickly shimmied into them. I grabbed a hair tie from the vanity and pulled my hair up into a messy bun on my way out of the room.

I headed to the gym, where Gary, Rahim, and Noah were sitting on the benches, Gary wiping his face with a towel.

“C’mon lads, that’s enough of a break,” he said, standing. “We gotta look sharp, the girls will be out here soon. Want to make sure I impress—”

“Impress who?” I asked as I came up behind him. He jumped, turning red as he noticed me.

“Oh, um—” he stumbled.

“You know you don’t need to impress me, Gary,” I smirked as I ran a finger over his bicep, causing his blush to deepen even further.

He coughed. “Care to join us?”

“That’s why I’m here, babe.”

Noah and Rahim grinned at Gary’s discomfort, then Rahim clapped his hands, getting our attention. Hope, Priya, and Marisol had just wandered over and sat themselves down on the lawn, facing the gym.

“Alright guys, we’re going to do three sets of push-ups with lunges in between,” he said. “Fifteen reps each.”

Rahim led us in an intense workout, and after a few days of slacking in the gym – and eating Bobby’s baking – I was finding it hard to keep up.

“Looking good, Josie,” Rahim encouraged, and I gave him a grateful smile before pushing myself harder.

“Gary, watch your bum. Keep it down.”

“First time I’ve had that said to me…”

Finally I gave up, dropping to the ground in exhaustion, and eventually the guys stopped as well, each of us heaving as we tried to catch our breath.

Gary sat up, looking at me thoughtfully. “How about I lift Josie?”

“What?” I laughed.

“Yeah, I’ve always wanted to try and bench press someone. Are you up for it?”

I was inclined to say no, but the hopeful expression on his face made me think. With the recoupling tonight, and Lucas now out of the picture, it wouldn’t hurt to get in some extra flirtation with Gary.

“Sure, why not?” I shrugged.

“Sweet! Get over here.”

I stood and walked over to where he lay, and Noah and Rahim helped me get into position.

“Don’t drop me,” I warned.

He groaned, muscles tense… but I didn’t move.

“Hey!” I yelled down at him, “I’m not that heavy! I’ve seen you lift heavier weights!”

He laughed, then finally raised his arms, lifting me up, then lowering me, then lifting me again.

“Okay stop, you’re making me feel ill,” I laughed.

He let me down. “I feel pumped after that! I hope seeing us in action has made tonight’s decision a bit easier for you.”

I got to my feet, ready to head to the showers. “I guess we’ll see what happens,” I winked, then turned and walked away towards the villa.

I took a long shower, put on a blue-and-white bikini, and blow-dried my hair. Satisfied, I decided to take the opportunity to go into the Beach Hut. Although I had been pulled into the confessional room last night for my initial reactions to the dumpings, after a restless night and some time alone to think things through, I had a clearer mind to discuss the events of the last few days without getting emotional. The producers liked to get us in there as often as possible anyway, so I figured now was a good time.

Fifteen minutes later I left the Beach Hut, just as Priya was coming up the stairs.

“Josie! I was just coming to find you!” She reached the top of the stairs and pulled me into a hug. “Come, let’s go to the roof terrace for a chat.”

“Recoupling?” I asked, as she grabbed my hand and pulled me along behind her.

She looked back at me over her shoulder with a grin. “Of course, recoupling! What else would we talk about on recoupling day?”

We reached the terrace and closed the door behind us, each taking a seat on the benches.

“Okay, spill,” she said. “Who are you looking at for tonight? Gary?”

I pulled my legs up to sit cross-legged. “I mean, probably, right? He still seems keen, he and Lottie are done, and with Lucas gone he’s the next logical choice.”

“Oof, if logic is involved, that’s a bad sign,” Priya laughed.

I grimaced. “I know… it’s just, things have been kind of a mess lately and I’m not really sure how I _feel_ , you know? I mean, I like him well enough, but between the last recoupling going the way it did, and then Lucas coming in and me focusing more on him, my emotions have been jumbled up and I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.” I took a deep breath.

“What about Henrik?”

“I don’t know… he’s hot, and we’ve had some good conversations, but I’ve never looked at him that way, because he came in with Lucas. He’s a nice guy, but… yeah, I think if I have first choice I’ll have to go with Gary, and give things a shot with him.” I turned to her expectantly. “But what about you? Are things going well with Rahim, or does Hope have something to worry about?”

Priya threw her head back and laughed. “Did you see her face when she realized that someone might be coming to take her man? Priceless!”

I smirked. “So what are you going to do? Do you still like Noah?”

She sighed, sobering. “Hope hardly ever leaves his side long enough for me to even talk to him. Rahim’s a lovely lad, but what if I could have something better with Noah?”

I rolled my eyes. “Hope’s got her hooks in so deep already, and we’ve been here just over a week. But I think if you get a chance, you should pick him. You’ll never know until you give it a chance, and clearly you’re not falling head over heels for Rahim if you’re referring to him as ‘a lovely lad.’”

“Thanks, Josie. I’m glad I have you to talk to.” She reached over and wrapped her arms around me. “And I’m sorry that Lucas got dumped… I really thought you two were going to get together.”

I returned the hug gratefully. “Thanks, hun.”

A pleasant, sweet smell wafted up from the kitchen below, and my stomach growled as I realized I hadn’t eaten anything yet. I released Priya and stood.

“I’m going to go get something to eat. Maybe later I can help distract Hope so you can chat with Noah,” I winked. She smiled in response, and I left her as I headed down toward the kitchen.

There I found Bobby, with his back towards me. I snuck up behind him and wrapped my arms around him. He jumped, then turned around to face me.

“It’s you!” he suddenly looked uncomfortable, and I looked up at him questioningly, lowering my arms.

“Um, yeah. Is that a problem?”

He turned his head to look behind him, and I realized that Lottie was on the other side of the counter, staring at me with an icy glare. Bobby turned back to me and grabbed my hand, pulling me towards the pantry.

“C’mere,” he opened the door and dragged me inside, closing the door behind us. “Sorry. What’s up?”

“I haven’t had breakfast yet, and I thought I smelled baking.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I made cupcakes to try and cheer Lottie up. She’s still feeling down about yesterday’s… revelation.”

I just stared at him. _He’s baking for her?_

“I mean, they’re not just for Lottie,” he quickly corrected. “They’re for everyone. Just… inspired by her. I’m calling them ‘The Magical Island Rainbow Shine’! What do you think?”

I gave him a blank look. “It’s a bit… long.”

“Aw, I spent ages on that one. Lottie liked it. Anyway, I don’t think she’s ready to talk to you yet, and since she’s in the kitchen with me… maybe I can bring you something?” He looked at me hopefully.

I frowned. I had gotten so used to Bobby always being there for me, that it was weird having him put someone else’s needs before mine… especially when I was the reason that person needed him. I felt oddly jealous, but I couldn’t really figure out why. I had no claim on Bobby’s time, and he was just trying to keep everyone happy with as little confrontation as possible.

“I’ll just make a quick smoothie and be out of your way,” I said, reaching for the door handle.

He put his hand over mine to prevent me. “I’ll make it,” his eyes pleaded with me.

“That bad, huh?”

He nodded. “Just give her time.”

“You know, it would be easier if she would just let me apologize instead of having to tiptoe around her, avoiding being in the same room as her. We live in the same villa, we share a kitchen, we share a bedroom, for fuck’s sake!”

Bobby winced. “I know, just… please.”

I sighed. “I’m sorry, Bobby. These last few days have been shit, I just want to move on and start over, but I can’t until this bloody thing gets sorted.”

“I’ll make it up to you,” he said, pulling me into his arms. “Take a cupcake, I’ll make you a smoothie, and then we can spend the rest of the morning hanging out together. What do you say?”

“Fine,” I said into his chest. “I like strawberry banana.”

“I’m giving you wheatgrass.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

*********

“Okay, you ready?”

“Ready!”

“Go!”

I propelled my swan-shaped pool floatie forward, leaning over as far as I could, paddling with my arms towards the centre of the pool.

“You’re so slow!” Bobby laughed from his flamingo, already having reached the middle of the pool from the opposite end.

“It’s not fair, your arms are longer than mine!”

I reached the middle finally and grabbed the neck of the swan, bracing for impact. Our floaties collided, and I ducked, keeping my centre of gravity low as Bobby pushed my shoulder.

“Oh, no you don’t!” I reached out, trying to find a way to leverage him off his floatie. Instead he grabbed my hand and pulled it towards him. My legs tightly gripped my floatie, causing it to tilt. I screamed, and my body fell sideways, landing in Bobby’s lap. “Oof!”

“Give up!” he laughed.

“Never!” I wrapped my arms around his waist and pushed my legs, still wrapped around the swan, back down into the water. The movement caused Bobby to wobble, and I leaned into the momentum, catching him off guard and throwing him off the floatie. I regained my balance and threw my arms into the air. “Yes!”

My victory was short-lived, however, as two arms suddenly wrapped around my shoulders from behind, pulling me backwards into the water.

When I surfaced, I turned around to catch Bobby looking at me with an impish grin.

“Cheater!” I laughed, giving him a splash.

“Did I just hear a phone go off?” One of the girls asked from where they were sitting on the lawn, reapplying sunscreen. “It sounded like it was coming from the kitchen.”

Bobby twisted his head towards the kitchen. “Ooh, it’s probably mine!”

He climbed out of the pool and grabbed a towel, pulling it around his shoulders. Lottie suddenly jumped up from her seat and ran towards the kitchen, grabbed the phone, and ran back.

“Now, let’s see what this is all about,” she smirked, holding up the phone. “Hm, hopefully he’s got some embarrassing selfies on here. Aw, it’s locked. Why do you lock your phone, Bobs?”

“You are such a magpie, Lottie!” Bobby tried to grab the phone, but Lottie pulled it away from him. “Can I have it back?”

“Should I?” she put her finger on her lips, looking over at the other girls conspiratorially. “Or should I make him work for it?”

I had drifted over to the near edge of the pool and rested my arms on the coping, watching the exchange.

_Are they… flirting?_

“Read the text!” Priya urged.

“Okay, fiiine, you can read it,” Bobby said, holding his hand out so he could unlock it for her.

“Thanks, babes,” Lottie fluttered her lashes at him.

_Erm. What?_

“Guys, I got a text!” she yelled.

“Aw, I was looking forward to saying that!” Bobby dropped onto the ground beside her as the other guys walked over. I stayed where I was in the pool.

“’Islanders, before tonight’s recoupling the girls will have a chance to get to know the boys better. Each girl will take a boy of her choice out on a date this afternoon. #datinggame #trybeforeyoubuy’”

The girls whooped and cheered.

“It’s date night, baby!” Hope exclaimed. “Or date afternoon, at least.”

Priya’s phone beeped. “Ooh, I got a text!”

Hope’s face fell, and her eyes shifted towards Noah. “Oh, is it you? Are you going first?”

“’Priya, you will go on the first date of the afternoon. Please choose a boy to go on a date with, and then get ready to leave the villa. #earlybird #pickofthepack’”

She grinned as she looked up from her phone, catching my eye. I nodded encouragingly.

“The boy I want to take on a date is… Noah!”

Hope’s jaw dropped, before her face twisted into a glare. “How dare you?!”

“You don’t own him, hun,” Priya said, “even though you act like you do. Why don’t you give the rest of us a chance to get to know him?”

“But he chose _me_ , not you! I thought you were over this by now!”

Priya snorted. “It was just a recoupling, babe, not a proposal. He’s free to get to know other girls, or at least he would be if you’d give him a chance. What do you say, Noah? Care to go on a date with me?” she turned to him with a sweet smile.

“Um,” he looked back and forth between the two girls nervously. “Yeah, why not?”

“Great!” she grinned, standing up. “Let’s go get ready!”

They headed into the villa, Hope fixing an icy glare upon their backs.

“Can you believe she just did that? The nerve!” She turned to Rahim. “You should have stopped her!”

“It’s just a date,” Rahim shrugged sheepishly, although he too was watching them enter the villa together.

Another phone beeped, each of the girls looking at their screens to check if it was theirs, then shaking their heads. I pulled myself out of the pool, picking up my towel and the phone that I had left underneath it.

“It’s my turn,” I said, looking up at the boys. “How about it, Gaz?”

He punched the air excitedly. “Yes! Get in! Daytime nibbles and drinks?”

Lottie folded her arms, glaring at us.

“I reckon you deserve a proper date after the last few days,” he said to me. “We both do, to be honest.”

She huffed, rolling her eyes.

He took my hand and jogged toward the villa, pulling me behind him.

“Do you reckon they’ll have those big olives? That’s how you know you’re on a fancy date.”

“Have you ever even been on a fancy date before?” I laughed.

“Hey! I’ll have you know that I take my nan to her favourite fancy restaurant every year for her birthday, thank you very much!”

*********

The jeep took us to a vineyard, where we were given a brief tour of the winery before being led through the rows of grapevines, where a blanket was laid out along with a picnic hamper filled with a wine bottle and plates of cheese and crackers.

“This is lush,” Gary said, pouring the wine. “Reminds me of the first really good date I ever went on.”

“With your nan?” I smirked.

He rolled his eyes. “No, silly. I used to work at my uncle’s farm machinery company, and I met this girl on a job. Her dad owned a couple of fruit farms and we used to go picking together. And now the taste of strawberries always reminds me of…” His voice trailed off. “Anyway, what should we drink to?”

“How about… to our first date.”

“The first of many, perhaps?” He smiled, and held his glass up, clinking it against mine before taking a sip. “You’re well fit, by the way. Sorry, I know that kind of came out of nowhere, but… like, I just notice it every now and again.”

“Oh, thanks!” I blushed. “You’re fit, too…”

“Not half as much as you, though. It’s nice to finally get this time alone with you. No distractions, no drama.”

I took a sip of wine. “Yeah, I think it’s good that we get to do this. I feel like with all that’s happened, we haven’t really had a chance to actually get to know each other, y’know?”

“Yeah…” he stared into his wine glass, swirling the liquid as he spoke. “Listen, Josie, before we get into all that, I’ve been wondering… I mean, you had this thing with Lucas going on the past few days, and I just want to know… am I second best? Like, he’s gone, so you’re going back to plan B?”

“What? No, of course not!”

He stared at me, a skeptical look in his eyes. “Haven’t I always been second best? You couldn’t have Noah, so you said, ‘Gary will do!’ Now you can’t have Lucas, so you figured, ‘Gary will do!’”

“That’s not true!” I protested, and yet… I didn’t believe it myself. I sighed, looking off into the distance. “Okay, I admit, maybe it is partly true. Where does that leave us, then? Do you not want me to pick you tonight?”

“That’s not it at all! I really like you, Josie, I just wish I could feel confident that the feeling was mutual. I don’t want to finally couple up with you, only to have some new bloke come in tomorrow and you go chasing after him.”

“Is that what you think of me?” I asked coldly. “Is that what everyone thinks of me? Look, I don’t know what would have happened if you and I had been coupled up when Lucas came in. I don’t know if I still would have been interested in him, because that choice was taken away from me. When Rocco picked me, I considered myself single and available to you, or any other man that walked through the villa doors. Lucas had a… a presence about him that sucked me in, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I liked him better than you, or would have still liked him if I were coupled up with you, because I don’t _know!_ I knew him for what, three, four days? I’ve barely known you much longer than that, but we’ve both been coupled up with other people!”

“Fuck, I’m sorry, Josie! I just… do you get where I’m coming from?” He gave me a pleading look.

I didn’t answer right away, looking down at the ground and fiddling with the corner of the blanket. “I do, but I’m upset that you would doubt me like that.”

He shrugged. “Maybe I’m doubting myself. What if we finally couple up, and I’m not good enough for you?”

I stared at him. “Not good enough? Gary, you may not be 100% my type, but any girl would be lucky to be coupled up with you. And if I’m lucky enough to get to say your name at the firepit tonight, then I promise I will focus on you, and you only, and not let my head get turned by someone else.”

He smiled, meeting my gaze. “I guess that’s good enough for me.”

Neither of us knew what to say next, so we took a moment to nibble on the cheese and crackers, as the silence began growing awkward.

Gary cleared his throat. “First dates can be so weird. But, I’ve just thought of a classic joke that always gets rid of the weird awkwardness.”

“Alright, let’s hear it.”

He grinned. “Knock knock!”

I rolled my eyes, but played along. “Who’s there?”

“Hutch.”

“Hutch who?”

“Bless you!” He threw back his head, laughing. “That was one of my dad’s favourite jokes. He and my nan will be chuffed that I said it on TV.”

“I was kind of hoping it was going to be a Starsky and Hutch joke, to be honest.”

He grinned. “It’s not a boat… it’s a yacht!”

The rest of the date flew by in a whirlwind of jokes, movie quotes, and laughter, until we finally got a text advising us to head back to the jeep. As we stood and started walking towards the jeep, Gary stopped and grabbed my hand.

“We might have time for one more thing…”

He leaned down, capturing my mouth with his in a slow, lingering kiss that tasted of wine and olives.

“Just a little something to think about,” he said huskily when he pulled away. “For tonight’s recoupling.”

“What are you talking about?” I playfully punched his arm. “Of course I’m picking you, who else would I pick?”

I lifted myself onto my tiptoes to give him another brief kiss, and we walked to the jeep hand in hand.

*********

When we returned to the villa, the other islanders were gathered in the kitchen, surrounding the counter. Bobby was in the centre of it all, juicing lemons and barking at anyone who got too close.

“Is Bobby making lemonade?” Gary asked. “I bet it’ll be amazing!”

“It smells delicious, Bobby,” I said, breathing in deeply, and taking a seat on an available bar stool. “I love citrus.”

“Have you been doing this all afternoon, mate?”

Bobby looked at Gary incredulously. “What? Did you think no one chose me for a date and I’ve just been waiting around for everyone to get back?” He shook his head. “Come off it. Me and Lottie had a great time, didn’t we Lozza?”

I raised an eyebrow at the revelation.

“Yeah, we went to a lemon grove and picked fresh lemons,” she said, indicating the lemons on the counter in front of Bobby. She kept her eyes down as she spoke, refusing to look at me or Gary.

“I’d never been to a fruit farm before,” Bobby said as he poured the fresh lemon juice into the pitcher. “But it got me so excited about making lemonade when I got back.”

Lottie smiled up at him. “It was a fun date. I’d do it again anytime.”

_Interesting. Very, very interesting._

I turned to Hope and Marisol. “So, who did you girls take on your dates?”

Hope threw a glare over at Priya, who just gave her an innocent smile in return. “Well since _somebody_ took my partner, I took Rahim. And we had a lovely time, didn’t we, Rahim?”

Rahim mumbled something unenthusiastically in response.

“And I took Henrik,” Marisol said, smiling at him. “It was interesting.”

“How was your date, Josie?” Priya asked.

“It was good,” I said. “We had a lot to discuss.”

“I know there’s something you’re not telling us,” Marisol said, with her know-it-all expression. “Look at how she’s standing. Classic signs of someone with something to hide.”

I turned and stared at her. “What exactly are you insinuating, Marisol?”

She shrugged smugly. “I don’t know, don’t you and Gary typically get up to something when you two are alone?”

I rolled my eyes. “Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not going to be baited by you. We got a chance to talk over everything from the last few days, but other than that it was a typical date. Analyze that, why don’t you?”

I hopped off my barstool and started walking towards the villa.

“Enjoy your fucking lemonade.”

*********

The boys jostled each other playfully as they positioned themselves into a line in front of the firepit. The mood was much lighter than the previous recoupling, knowing that nobody was in danger of going home.

The girls, on the other hand, sat on the bench in tense silence, wondering who would get to pick first – and whose man might get stolen out from under them.

Gary flashed me a smile, and I returned it with a wink.

A phone beeped.

“It’s me! I’m first to choose,” Hope said excitedly, sending a smug smirk in Priya’s direction.

Priya rolled her eyes, and I put my hand over hers, squeezing it gently.

“Figures,” I whispered.

Hope stood and faced the boys, her eyes firmly on Noah, her smile wide.

“I’ve been so lucky to be coupled up with my dream man since arriving at the villa. He’s everything I’ve been looking for in a man. Kind, thoughtful, and treats me like a queen. I couldn’t imagine my life in the villa without him…”

_Gag me with a spoon._

“…so the boy I’d like to couple up with is… Noah.”

“I did not see that coming,” Bobby joked.

Noah walked up to Hope with a smile, giving her a hug and kiss on the cheek as the boys cheered them on.

Another phone beeped, and this time Marisol stood up.

“I’m glad I get to choose second, because I don’t think I would have gotten this chance otherwise. I’ve been wanting to get to know this boy better ever since day one…”

_Wait, who is she talking about?_

“…and now I finally get an opportunity to see if there could be something between us. The boy I’d like to couple up with is… Gary.”

My jaw dropped, and she smirked at me. Gary looked thunderstruck, eyes flicking back and forth between Marisol and myself in surprise and worry.

“What the fuck, Marisol?” I threw up my hands in exasperation.

“We both stepped forward on day one, babe,” she said smugly. “Did you think you were the only one still interested in him? Recouplings are first come, first serve, and I got there first this time.”

I shook my head in disbelief.

“I’m surprised you did that, Marisol,” Lottie cut in before I had a chance to say anything. “You know Josie’s just going to go behind your back and kiss him, like she did to me.”

“Oh, give me a break—” I started, before Bobby cut me off.

“Enough! Can we just quit with the bickering, already? Marisol, there’s no need for your smug attitude, and Josie’s been through enough the last few days without you turning the knife even deeper. Lottie, until you give Josie and Gary a chance to apologize and explain what happened, you don’t have the right to make snide comments about them. Gary, go sit with Marisol, and let’s get this recoupling moving.”

That shut everyone up, and Gary shot me an apologetic look as he went to sit with Marisol.

This time it was Priya giving my hand a gentle squeeze, and I gave her a grateful smile.

Her phone beeped next, and she stood shakily.

“The boy I’d like to couple up with is probably the sweetest guy I’ve ever met. Despite being drop dead gorgeous, he’s really humble and a true gentleman. The boy I’d like to couple up with is… Rahim.”

He gave her a small smile and a polite kiss on the cheek as he sat next to her.

_I hope he’s not upset about her taking Noah on the date… poor Rahim._

My phone was the next to go off. I stood, looking at the two boys still standing on the other side of the firepit: Bobby and Henrik.

_Bobby has been there for me time and time again… he makes me feel safe. But what if the public thought I was coupling up with him because I knew he was a fan favourite? And if I picked him, would I be getting in the way of him and Lottie having something?_

I looked over at Lottie. She was gazing stoically into the firepit, not giving off any clues about what she was thinking.

_Henrik’s showing himself to be a decent guy, and he’s totally hot. Lucas asked me to look out for him, but I’m not sure coupling up with him was exactly what he meant…_

I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, before re-opening them.

“So, I wasn’t prepared to be making this decision. It’s no secret that I was planning to pick someone else tonight, but as I’m quickly learning in this villa, sometimes people don’t want you to be happy…”

Lottie snorted.

“I’d like to couple up with this boy because in the short time I’ve known him, I’ve found him to be kind and considerate, and I’m looking forward to getting to know him better. So the boy I want to couple up with is… Henrik.”

Lottie let out a soft laugh, shaking her head.

Henrik grinned and strode over to me, wrapping me in a hug.

“I was hoping you’d pick me,” he whispered into my ear. I smiled at him in relief, and he put his arm around me as we sat down.

Lottie’s phone finally chimed, and she stood, throwing a hostile glance in my direction.

“The boy I’m coupling up with has proven to be a great friend, but I guess I don’t really have any other options…”

_Friend? Other options?_

“… since the boy I was planning on coupling up with has already been picked.”

_Wait, does she mean… Henrik??_

“So, this is going to be strictly a friendship couple, because as great as this boy is, I think neither of us could possibly see each other in a romantic way. The boy I’m coupling up with is Bobby.”

He grinned as he walked up to her and gave her a hug before they both sat down. He whispered into her ear and she nodded, but her eyes flicked over to me with a venomous glare before she turned her back to me, striking up a conversation with Hope and Noah.

I leaned over to whisper in Henrik’s ear. “Did Lottie want to pick you?”

“I dunno,” he shrugged. “We’ve talked a few times, but she never said she liked me. Maybe I missed something, I can be a little oblivious sometimes.”

I looked over to the other side of the firepit, to find Gary’s eyes on me. I turned back to Henrik. “I need to have a chat with Gary. Do you mind? I’ll find you later.”

“Sure, go ahead!”

I stood, looking back at Gary and indicating for him to follow me. He caught up to me and we walked together in silence, until we reached the swinging bench and sat down.

“So, that was unexpected,” I said. “Did you know Marisol was still into you?”

“No, I had no clue. Up until last night she’s just been spending time with Rocco the last few days. I figured she would pick Henrik, to be honest.”

I nodded in agreement.

He swore, rubbing his hand across his face. “Where does this leave us now?”

I sighed, picking up one of the cushions on the bench to give my hands something to fiddle with. “I’m tired, Gary. I’m tired of being in a couple with one guy, while grafting on other guys. I haven’t really gotten a chance to get to know Henrik yet, and I think it’s only fair to him that I give him a chance. I knew right away that I wasn’t into Rocco, but that’s not the case with Henrik.”

“And what, you want me to give it a try with Marisol?” he said derisively.

I grimaced. “I’m not exactly Marisol’s biggest fan right now, but clearly she’s into you, so maybe you should give it a go? And who knows, maybe the next new islanders will be girls, so if things don’t work out…”

“So just like that, you and me are done. Before we ever even had a chance.”

I put my hand on his arm, giving it a light squeeze. “I’m not shutting the door on the possibility of it ever happening, but the universe doesn’t seem to want us to be together. I’m sorry, Gary.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

He got up and walked away, leaving me sitting there alone, wondering what could have been. A few minutes later Henrik came up the steps, hands in his pockets.

“Hey. You good?” he asked.

I gave him a small smile. “Yeah, I think so. Why don’t you sit?”

He sat in the same spot Gary had recently vacated, turning to face me. “I just want you to know that if you want to keep cracking on with Gary, I’ll respect that.”

“Henrik—”

“I meant what I said at the firepit, about wanting you to choose me. But I know that if Gary were an option you would have picked him instead.”

“Henrik, I’m not going to crack on with Gary.”

“You— what?”

“I broke it off with him.”

His brow furrowed in confusion. “But I thought you liked him.”

“Maybe I do, but I meant what I said on the daybed last night, about trying harder with whoever I ended up coupling up with. I want to get a fresh start, and maybe not being able to pick Gary was what I needed for that to happen. So it’s just you and me now, and I’m going to put 100% of my effort into making this work.”

He smiled broadly. “I’m happy to hear that. I can’t wait to be coupled up with you.”

“You’re already coupled up with me,” I smirked.

“You know what I mean!” he laughed.

There was a shout from the daybeds. “TEXT!”

As we walked over to investigate, I slipped my hand into his. It was rough and calloused, but strong. He smiled down at me, giving my hand a squeeze.

“’Islanders, the Hideaway is open! Please pick one couple to spend the night there.’”

There were shouts of excitement, and wolf whistles as Hope and Noah were chosen as the lucky couple.

“Step this way, hot stuff,” Hope grinned as she led Noah by the hand into the villa to get ready.

I looked over at Priya, rolling my eyes. “It should’ve been you and Rahim.”

She shrugged. “If it were, I’m not sure anything particularly interesting would’ve happened – I don’t think he’s very happy with me, after I took Noah on my date this afternoon.”

“Oh, hun,” I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed her tight. “And here I thought I was the only one with problems.”

“Honestly, it’s not a big deal,” she said. “I like the guy, but the writing has been on the wall since the start. I think we’re both okay sticking together until someone new catches our fancy.”

“Well in that case, I hope that happens for you soon!”

We walked into the villa and headed upstairs to get ready. Although it wasn’t time to start wearing the sexy lingerie quite yet, it was nice to finally have a reason to wear something other than the t-shirt and shorts combo I’d been sporting out on the daybeds. I put a little extra effort into my evening routine, before finally heading down to the bedroom.

“Welcome back to the bedroom, Josie!” Bobby smiled as I walked by his bed.

I laughed. “Thanks, it’s good to be back. I think? I dunno, if it gets noisy in here tonight I might have to sneak back outside.”

“Well with Noah in the hideaway tonight, that might not be necessary.” He made exaggerated snoring noises, until someone threw a pillow at him.

I would have lingered by his bed a bit longer if it hadn’t been for Lottie lying next to him on the bed, giving me a death stare. I moved on, finally reaching the bed where Henrik sat, waiting for me with his hair tied up out of his face.

“Hey,” he smiled. “Any preference as to which side you want?”

“Doesn’t matter to me,” I responded.

“Oh, good. Lottie was giving Bobby a right earful about the side she wanted. Something about having to face north?”

I settled onto the bed, fluffing my pillow. “I hope she doesn’t mind his starfish impression. When we were coupled up I woke up one morning all tangled up with him.”

Henrik raised his eyebrows. “If I do anything like that, or steal the blankets, just give me a kick. I don’t mind. But, like, a gentle kick.”

I grinned, then shifted my body closer to his. “I don’t mind, honest. Now I was big spoon last night, so tonight it’s your turn.”

I rolled over as he laughed softly and moved his body up against mine. He draped his arm over my waist, then reached over to kiss my cheek gently.

“Goodnight. Thanks again for picking me.”


	18. Ministry of Sound pt.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BEFORE YOU READ:  
> If you read the last chapter within the first 2 hours of it being posted, just note that it was *not* intended to end on a cliffhanger in the middle of the recoupling! I had a copy/paste fail (🤦♀️) and didn't realize it until later, so if you don't know who Josie coupled up with, go back to Chapter 17 and read the ending! ❤

I slept better than I had in days, and woke up in the morning feeling refreshed. Sitting up, I looked around and realized the other beds were already empty. I dragged myself out of bed, looking back at the pillows longingly. The outside door opened, and Henrik walked in, his skin glistening with moisture and his hair dripping.

He noticed me and grinned. “Good morning!” he said, walking over to me and kissing my forehead as he wrapped his arms around me.

“You’re all wet!” I complained, before returning the hug.

“Yeah, I got pushed into the pool and didn’t have a towel. Consider it a pre-shower. Like, a shower before you shower.”

“Very funny.” I stepped out of his grasp and he went in search of a towel while I headed upstairs to get ready for the day.

As I reached the dressing room door, Lottie walked in from the roof terrace. We both stopped, her eyes narrowing as she took in my sudden appearance.

“Lottie, can we talk?”

“I have no interest in talking to you,” she said coldly, standing just inside the door. She looked at the open doorway behind me, as if calculating her odds of being able to squeeze past me.

I stood my ground, crossing my arms. “Well we can’t keep tiptoeing around each other, and we have to have this discussion at some point. The sooner the better, for the good of the villa.”

She snorted, her lips curling in disgust. “The good of the villa? Since when do you care about anyone else in here? You just do what you want, to hell with everyone else’s feelings.”

“Why on earth would you think that?” My eyes burned as they filled with tears, and I shook my head in frustration. “Just because I made one mistake doesn’t mean I don’t care about anyone else. Just let me explain what happened.”

She huffed, folding her arms as she leaned against the doorframe, keeping her eyes steady on me. “Save your excuses, Josie. I don’t want to hear them.”

“Who says I’m trying to make excuses? I just want to give you the facts about what happened!”

“Oh, right, as if knowing all the juicy details is going to make me feel better. As far as I’m concerned, you broke girl code, and I’m not ready to hear about it.”

I closed the dressing room door behind me, moving to sit on one of the vanity chairs instead. “Well what about last night, then? You seemed upset when I picked Henrik. I thought you’d be happy to couple up with Bobby.”

“Bobby? What on earth possessed you into thinking I wanted to couple up with Bobby?” She unfolded her arms and pushed herself away from the door, brow furrowed in confusion.

“Um, maybe all the flirtatious moments between the two of you I’ve noticed in the last few days? The cupcakes? You stealing his phone and reading his text? Going on a date together?”

“Are you for real?” She gawked at me. “Bobby and I are  _ friends _ , just like he’s friends with you! He bakes for people he cares about, and don’t try telling me he hasn’t done the same for you! A little friendly banter isn’t the same as flirting, and by the time I got to pick a date, the only options were Bobby and Rahim! And as much as I like Rahim, a date with Bobby sounded like a better time!”

“So you’re mad at me because I picked Henrik?”

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!” She threw her arms up in annoyance, rolling her eyes.

“But how was I supposed to know you liked him?”

“Maybe if you didn’t have your head stuck so firmly up your own ass the last few days, you would have paid attention to what was going on around you?” Lottie cocked an eyebrow, crossing her arms again.

“I honestly had no clue, and apparently you haven’t been as obvious as you thought, because Henrik had no clue either, or at least that’s what he says. And you know what else he told me? That he was happy I picked him! So whatever grafting you’ve apparently been doing, it clearly didn’t work!”

“How dare you!”

I took a deep breath as I shook my head.

_ Get it together, Josie. Just apologize. Don't make things worse. _

“I’m sorry Lottie, but I honestly picked him thinking you weren’t interested. It’s not my fault Marisol picked Gary before I could, and it’s not my fault I had to pick before you. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry for not telling you about kissing Gary, but I was honestly trying to protect you!”

“That’s a load of bullshit, and you know it!”

She stormed past me, throwing open the dressing room door and running out before I could say anything else.

“FUCK!” I yelled, picking up a hairbrush and throwing it against the wall.

_ So much for that. _

I grabbed my things and headed into the shower, turning the water temperature up as high as I could bear. I leaned forward, resting my forehead against the wall, banging against it with my fist.

_ How could I screw that up so badly? _

I stayed there until the heat made me lightheaded, finally shutting the water off and wrapping myself in a towel. I returned to the dressing room and got dressed, then headed downstairs. Once outside, I spotted Priya lounging on the daybeds and went over to join her. I sank onto the bed beside her and cuddled into her.

“Good morning!” she said. “What’s up?”

“I think I made things even worse with Lottie,” I said glumly.

“Oh no! What did you do, kiss Bobby?” she joked.

“Haha, very funny!” I tried to act annoyed, but couldn’t help the smile tugging at the corner of my lips, before turning serious. She listened with sympathy as I explained what I had said, pulling me into her arms.

“I’m sorry, Josie. I wish there was something I could do to help, but she won’t listen to me, either.”

“Hell hath no fury like a Lottie scorned,” I rolled my eyes, pulling away from her and crossing my legs.

“Just give her time, hun,” she said sympathetically.

“That’s what everyone keeps saying, but I hate living like this!”

“I know, but she has to be ready to hear it, babe. That might mean a bit of awkwardness for all of us right now, but I’m sure it’ll pass eventually. Remember when her and I got into it after the slime challenge? We never officially made up, things just got better on their own. Your situation is different, obviously, but sometimes the best thing you can do is wait and see what happens. You’ve tried facing it head on and it didn’t work. It’s time to try something else now.”

I sighed. “Thanks, Pri. You really are the best.”

“And don’t you forget it!” she grinned.

“Guys, I got a text!” Hope shouted from the pool area. She looked around to make sure everyone was paying attention, so we sat up to listen. “’Islanders, tonight the villa will be hosting a Ministry of Sound party. Make sure you all dress to impress! #purebeats #ministryofsound’ Amazing! We get to scrub up nice and dance the night away. Are you excited, babes?”

She reached out with her leg and playfully nudged Noah, who was hanging on to the edge of the pool.

“Yeah, babes,” he said. He looked preoccupied, and I caught him sneaking a glance in our direction as he swam away from the edge.

I turned to Priya. “Any news on the Noah front? We never got to talk about your date yesterday… how did it go?”

She smiled sadly. “I thought it went well… he seemed like he was still interested in me.”

“He’s definitely still interested in you. Do you realize how many times I’ve seen him looking at you? I bet if it was boys’ choice last night, he would have picked you.”

“Do you really think so?” Her eyes followed Noah’s movements in the pool, her lips pursing in thought.

“Hope acts like they’re the world’s greatest couple, but she gets insecure every time someone so much as looks at him. If she were really confident in their couple, she wouldn’t have reacted the way she did yesterday. I think she feels threatened by you, because she knows he likes you.”

Priya sat up straighter, eyes bright as they focused on me. “What do you think I should do?”

I shrugged. “I dunno, but I think you need to talk to him more. See if there’s something there, get him to admit that he likes you. Because honestly, I think it’s obvious, and I think Hope knows it, too.”

She nodded. “Okay, I’m going to see what I can do.”

“Go get your man back!”

“I intend to!” she looked back at Noah as he pulled himself out of the pool, then back at me. “Can we keep this between ourselves? Just in case things don’t work out, I don’t want it getting all over the villa.”

I smiled. “My lips are sealed.”

*********

“There’s an o-ring missing.”

“That makes sense… um, what’s an o-ring?”

“Little bit of rubber shaped like a ring.”

I walked into the kitchen to find Gary and Henrik standing over the smoothie maker, confused expressions on their faces. Henrik brightened as he looked up and saw me, and he reached for my hand, drawing me towards him, my hip brushing his thigh. I smiled at him, but for Gary’s benefit chose not to get any closer.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“There’s a piece missing from the smoothie maker. Do you think Rocco took it, as a souvenir?”

I frowned. “No, Bobby used it yesterday. It was working fine.” I walked over to the sink area and pulled a rubber piece out the dish rack, holding it up. “Is this what you’re looking for?”

Henrik laughed. “How long have you been trying to figure this thing out, Gary? And Josie just comes along and voila, fixed?”

Gary grumbled. “I would’ve found it eventually…”

“By the way, Josie, do you know what’s going on with Hope and Noah?” Henrik asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Just that she came storming through here not too long ago, with her knickers in a twist.”

“And Noah?”

Gary shrugged. “Haven’t seen him, but they’ve been getting into these tiffs lately, so we figured maybe something was up.”

“Wait, they’ve been fighting?” I raised my eyebrows. Maybe Lottie was right, my head really had been firmly up my ass if I hadn’t noticed this.

“Yeah, he was telling me the other day. He was confused, because he thought she really liked him, but she keeps nagging him about little things. They’ve only been together a week! Seems a bit early for all that old married couple stuff.”

_ Interesting. _

“Maybe I should go find her,” I said.

“Would you? I’m sure Noah would appreciate it if you could talk some sense into her.”

“Sure,” I smiled, heading into the villa in search of Hope.

I found her on the roof terrace, sitting alone, hugging a cushion in her lap. Her face was streaked with tears. She turned at the sound of the door opening, and straightened when she saw me.

“Hey Josie,” she said, wiping her cheeks.

“Oh, hey,” I acted surprised to see her. “What brings you up here by yourself?”

“I just needed a minute to myself.”

“I can leave if you want—”

“No, it’s okay!” she said quickly. “I could use some perspective from someone I trust.”

_ And she trusts me? I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her.  _

I sat on the bench opposite her, waiting for her to speak.

She sighed. “It’s Noah. I accidentally pulled the string out of my favourite hoodie, and he didn’t care.”

_ Wait, all this… over a fucking hoodie? _

“What?”

“It was my favourite hoodie, and the string came out and now it’s ruined…” she sniffed.

_ Is she some kind of maniac? Just put the string back in! _

“And all he said was, ‘oh, I’ll buy you a new one!’ So I said something like, ‘babes I’m the one with the money in this couple.’ And he was like, ‘I know!’ Can you believe it?”

_ This is hilarious… wouldn’t hurt to play along. _

“He just said ‘I know’? Wow,” I prayed that she wouldn’t hear the sarcasm I was so desperately trying to mask.

“I know! Right? He was totally out of line!”

“I know!”

“I wasn’t trying to throw anything in his face. I just wanted him to understand that I have enough things, the hoodie was sentimental. But it turned into this whole fight. Did I totally overreact?” She looked at me, desperation in her eyes.

“Oh, not at all, babes! All your emotions are valid,” my voice was sweet as honey as I reached out to briefly cover her hand with mine.

_ Gag. _

“Thanks, babes. I just got stressy in the moment, that’s all. That’s what happens when I’m really into a guy.”

_ That, or when you’re playing him for a shot at £50k. _

I nodded along, encouraging her to keep going.

“But now I’m wondering if he’s actually uncomfortable about my career, and the fact that I earn more money than he does. It’s been an issue in past relationships, you know. Guys can feel intimidated when a girl is more successful than them.”

_ Yes, that’s the reason they feel intimidated. Mmhmm. _

“So when Noah was like ‘I know,’ I thought, oh no, him too?”

“That makes sense,” I said. “It sounds like there’s more going on between you than an unstrung hoodie.”

“Yeah. I just hope we can reconnect before the party tonight. Noah’s the only one here I’m interested in.”

_ Because you voted Lucas out… _

“I’m afraid that if I can’t control my anxiety, I’ll push him away, and someone else will turn his head.”

_ No need to worry about that – his head is already turned! _

“What are you going to do?” I asked, legitimately curious.

She bit her lip as she pondered the question, staring past me into the distance. “I’m going to give him space for a bit, I think. Then I’ll make sure to turn all the way up for the Ministry of Sound party later. The right dress can open all kinds of doors.” She turned back to look at me with a smile. “I feel really reassured after talking to you. Thanks so much!”

“No problem, babes!” I returned her smile, although mine was admittedly fake. “The Ministry of Sound party tonight should be fun.”

“Definitely! Let’s bring our best looks yet!”

She left the terrace, and I followed her shortly after, amused at how the conversation had gone. If Hope was planning on giving Noah space until the party tonight, then that would finally give Priya the perfect opportunity to make her move.

As I headed down the stairs, I noticed a light under the lounge door. Typically we didn’t spend much time in there during the daytime, so I assumed someone had turned on the light and forgotten about it. I opened the door and was reaching for the light switch when I noticed Noah sitting on the couch, holding something in his hands.

He looked up, startled.

“Oh, excuse me!” I apologized. “I didn’t realize you were in here.”

_ Shit, where’s Priya? Get in here, girl, now’s your chance! _

“That’s okay. I’m not really doing anything… hey, you don’t know how to put the string back in a hoodie, do you?”

I looked at his hands to see the sweater Hope had been whining about.

“If you had one of those big safety pins, you could hook the string on that and pull it through pretty easily. I’m not sure if we have any in the villa, though. Maybe some other sort of wire?”

Noah looked around the room, then got up and walked out. He returned a minute later with a wire coat hanger and began patiently unraveling it to straighten it out.

I cleared my throat. “So, that hoodie doesn’t really look like your style. Is it Hope’s?”

He nodded as he worked. “Yeah, she was upset at me earlier when the string came out. It’s not like I pulled it out! But maybe she’ll be happy if I fix it.” He sighed. “It’s normal to fight a little bit when you spend all your time with someone, right?”

“Can I be honest?” I moved to sit down next to him on the couch, pulling my feet up under me.

“Please.”

“I think fighting can be normal, but is it really what you want for a relationship? You’ve known her a week and a half. If you’re already fighting over little things like a hoodie string, what happens in a month? A year? Not to mention, you’re in a villa full of people. Maybe if you spent more time with some of the others, you wouldn’t be finding as many little things to nitpick over?”

He tied the string to the wire and began poking it through the hood.

“What are you saying, Josie?”

“I’m saying, maybe you should explore your options a bit more. Getting together on day one doesn’t mean you have to stay together if you’re not entirely happy.”

He looked thoughtful as he pulled the wire through, the string threading through along with it until it poked out the other end.

“Can I ask you something, Noah?”

“Sure.”

“Why did you pick Hope in the first recoupling instead of Priya? And be honest, because I haven’t missed those looks you’ve been sending Priya’s direction. I know you like her.”

He untied the string from the wire, putting the wire aside and folding the hoodie. Finally he looked up at me.

“The truth is… Rahim told me he wanted to pick Priya.”

_ Well that’s interesting… _

My eyes narrowed. “So? You know what they say, it’s Love Island, not Friend Island. If you liked Priya more than Hope, you should have just picked her, and let Rahim pick Hope, and you still could’ve gotten to know both.”

He coughed. “Not really.”

“What do you mean?”

“The thing is… if I had picked Priya, Rahim would have picked Hannah, not Hope.”

“Okay… they would have made a cute couple but I still don’t see—”

_ Wait a second. _

Suddenly, I understood. I stood up off the couch and started pacing in front of him.

“Hold up… if you picked Priya, and Rahim picked Hannah… then there’s a good chance that Hope would have been dumped that night.” I turned to face him, hands on my hips. “So you’re telling me that you picked Hope… to  _ keep your options open?! _ ”

He just sat there, expressionless, not making eye contact.

I shook my head in disbelief, crossing my arms. “You fucking coward.”

“Excuse me?” He finally looked up, a spark in his eyes.

“You heard me. You’re a coward. You’ve been dicking around with the emotions of two girls who don’t deserve it, simply because you didn’t want to risk having the option to switch taken from you. And then you cover it up by saying you did it for Rahim?”

“I did!” he jumped to his feet. “Honestly, I wanted to pick Priya, but he knew I was torn and asked if I would consider not picking her. It just worked out for both of us.”

“But it didn’t, did it?” I pushed my finger against his chest, causing him to back up a step. “Because now Rahim knows that Priya still likes you, so he’s wasted his time when he could’ve been happier with someone else. Meanwhile, Hope has sunk her claws into you so deep that you haven’t even been able to spend much time with Priya, or anyone else.”

“Okay, okay, you’re right. This isn’t how I expected things to go, okay? Just… do me a favour and don’t say anything? I created this mess, let me try to fix it.”

“Fine, I’ll keep quiet. But Priya’s my friend, and I don’t want her getting hurt. If you don’t tell her, I will.”

I spun on my heels and left the room. As I walked through the door, I smacked my hand against the light switch, leaving him standing in the dark.

*********

I spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out in the pool with Henrik. The more time I spent with him, the more I became attracted to his easygoing manner and positive exuberance. He was so different from Lucas, but I was coming to realize how much I had overlooked him. Lucas had been charming and godlike, but Henrik had a rugged wildness that was beginning to draw me more and more.

Eventually we all began drifting into the villa to get ready for the Ministry of Sound party. There was a buzz in the dressing room as the girls got ready, going all out with our hair and makeup. Because it was a themed party, the producers had brought in a rack of metallic outfits for us to choose from, and we excitedly rifled through them. I was able to snag a silver outfit consisting of a super skin-tight miniskirt and daringly low-cut spaghetti-strapped crop top.

I styled my hair into blowout curls and worked on applying my makeup, going with a dark grey smoky eye to complement the outfit.

“What are these?” Marisol picked up what looked like sparkly sheets of paper that had been left on the vanity. “Ooh, stickers!”

Lottie looked over. “Temporary tattoos! Let’s bling up. It’s my time to shine! Let me help you.”

“Please do. You’re the makeup professional here.”

I looked over and found a sheet of silver tattoos shaped like stars, hearts, arrows, and various other designs.

“Priya, do you want to do each other’s?”

She agreed, and we took some time to apply the tattoos to each other’s faces.

When we finished, we all ran down to the lawn, which had been utterly transformed for the evening. There were additional fairy lights and luminous globes and disco balls, creating a club-like atmosphere.

“It’s DJ Big T!” Bobby exclaimed, pointing to the corner where a DJ booth had been set up. “Amazing!”

The DJ was one of last year’s islanders, and he greeted us each graciously with hugs and a big grin.

“DJ Big T like a killa, back in the villa! Spanish inquisition – my rhymes are high precision. I’m Love Island representing, ladies fainting, my rhymes ain’t wasting, they’re devastating!”

The music started playing, and Priya pulled me onto the dancefloor that had been set up in the middle of the lawn. “Twerk it, girl! I’m saying that right, aren’t I? Twerk.”

I laughed. “Yeah, that’s right.” I complied, placing my hands on my knees and thrusting my hips up, shaking my booty.

“Ooh, sexy! Work it, girl!” She threw her hands in the air and shimmied, bringing her arms down and tracing the curves of her body.

The other islanders joined us on the dancefloor, and Bobby danced towards us, moving his arms and upper body robotically.

“Nice one, B!” I laughed, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards me, then spinning so my back was against his chest, placing his hand on my hip as I moved against him. “This is how you dance with a girl!”

We danced together briefly, until Henrik came over and I moved towards him instead.

“Hey, handsome,” I smiled as he took me by the hand, twirling me. “Ooh, you’ve got some moves!”

He pulled me against him, his arms around my waist, and I lifted my arms as I moved my hips to the beat.

I lost myself in the music, closing my eyes as I swayed, feeling nothing but the beat moving through my body and the heat of Henrik’s hands on me, his lavender scent mixing with my perfume.

My trance was broken at the sound of Marisol’s voice.

“I hear footsteps!”

“Shh! Let’s hide!” Rahim whispered loudly.

“Why would we hide?”

I opened my eyes as the music stopped and two figures emerged from the garden path.

“I can’t believe I’m here!” a blonde girl in a pink dress squealed.

Beside her, a tall, muscular man with close-shaved hair grinned. “Hi, ladies!” His shirt tightened across his chest, the buttons nearly popping as his muscles flexed.

“Omigod! Hi everyone!” The girl bubbled with excitement. “I’m Chelsea! And this is Jakub!”

They made the rounds among us as we each greeted them.

“I’m so glad to meet you!” she bubbled as I gave her a welcoming hug.

“You too,” I said politely, pulling away.

“It feels like I know you all already!” Chelsea gushed. “We’ve seen every episode so far!”

“That’s right,” Jakub interjected. “And let me just say one thing – if the boys here aren’t up for the challenge of a real woman like Priya, I am.”

Priya blushed, giving him the onceover.

“What have you guys seen?” Hope asked.

“Oh, tons of things! I have sooo many opinions!” Chelsea beamed. “But the thing everyone can’t stop talking about is what Josie said in the Beach Hut!”


	19. Ministry of Sound pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are new islanders in the villa, and Chelsea's ready to spill some TEA!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just want to take a brief moment to thank all of you who are keeping up with this fic - today we're celebrating 3,000 hits! 🎉✨
> 
> I appreciate each and every one of you that has read, kudos'd, and commented - it means the world to me that you're following along and I'm so overwhelmed by the incredible response. Love you all ♥♥♥

“…the thing everyone can’t stop talking about is what Josie said in the Beach Hut!”

Chelsea’s words crashed into me, and my eyes widened as I realized what she was talking about.

_ Oh, no. This can’t be happening. _

“Josie? What did you say in the Beach Hut?” Marisol asked, crossing her arms. The other islanders looked at me, a mix of confusion and curiosity on their faces.

Chelsea was practically bouncing in excitement, ready to share the news. “She said—”

My arm shot out, my hand covering her mouth to stifle her words as I gave her a look of warning. Her eyes widened into big blue orbs, her gaze alternating between my face and my hand.

_ Who does this bitch think she is? _

“What happens in the Beach Hut,  _ stays _ in the Beach Hut,” I said tensely. She stared back at me until I raised my eyebrows, prompting her to nod her head in understanding. I removed my hand and turned to the others.

“It doesn’t concern any of you,” I lied. “So unless you’d all like to share your own Beach Hut confessionals, I would ask that you move along and forget what the public is apparently finding so interesting.”

I looked over at Jakub in a silent plea for cooperation.

He cocked an eyebrow, then grinned. “What’s all this, then? I thought we were having a party, and I’ve got some fit girls I wanna get chirpsing with.”

Lottie and Marisol looked at me with suspicion, not fully satisfied with my answer.

“All my party people, on me!” Jakub turned and jogged towards the dance floor as DJ Big T turned the music back up. The others started following, some looking back at me one more time before finally turning their backs on me. Henrik and Bobby stood there, looking back and forth between me, Chelsea, and the partiers, until I waved my hand at them indicating for them to go. That left only Priya hanging back, concern written on her face.

I breathed a sigh of relief, until I realized that Chelsea was still standing next to me.

“Do you have a problem with me?” I confronted her. “Half the villa is already upset with me, and then you just had to come in and drop that bombshell!”

“N-no, I don’t—”

“You know full well that you’re not supposed to talk about the public’s opinion or what you’ve seen, and what do you do? Start blabbing the moment you walk in here!”

“I’m sorry, I—”

“You’re sorry?! We’ve barely even met and you’ve already started gossiping about me!”

“Josie!” Priya pulled me away. “Now’s not the time, okay? This is supposed to be a party, let’s just enjoy it.” She turned to Chelsea with a smile. “Why don’t you go to the dance floor and spend some time with the others? I’m sure the boys are dying to get to know you.”

“But—” Chelsea started, before Priya interrupted her.

“Please. Just go and enjoy your first night here. Look, the boys are already looking for you.”

Chelsea looked out at the lawn where the boys were shooting looks in our direction while the girls danced with Jakub.

“Oh, alright, then,” she said, sneaking one more sad look at me before turning and walking away. She greeted the boys and within minutes was giggling and bouncing around the dancefloor.

“Care to share?” Priya asked, placing a comforting hand on my arm.

I shook my head. “Nope. Maybe someday, but now’s not the time.”

“Alright then,” she said. “Come dance with me?”

“No… if you don’t mind, I’d rather be alone right now.”

She nodded. “Okay, but I want to see you back on that dance floor before the night is over.”

I gave a noncommittal shoulder shrug. She looked liked she wanted to say something further, but ultimately decided against it, giving me a small smile and pat on the shoulder as she returned to the dancefloor.

I watched the group of islanders dancing and having fun. I shook my head, wondering how I could be so stupid as to say what I did in the Beach Hut, knowing it was only a matter of time before new islanders came in, ready to share their juicy gossip.

_ The public definitely hates me. How soon until I get voted out? _

I grabbed a bottle of prosecco that was sitting in an ice bucket on the counter, and headed up towards the swinging bench, which was as far as I could get away from the others while still remaining outside. I popped the cork and took a swig directly from the bottle.

_ Blech. Why do they always give us the cheap stuff? I wish they would stock some real liquor. _

I closed my eyes and rested my head against the back of the bench, feeling the vibrations of the heavy bass of the music being played down below. I remembered how, for a brief period of time, I had been able to completely relax, losing myself in the music, in the feeling of my body against Henrik’s, in the moment.

I don’t know how much time passed, but my reverie was broken by the feeling of the prosecco bottle being removed from my hands. I opened my eyes, looking up to see a concerned pair of amber eyes looking down at me.

“What’s going on, Josie?” Bobby asked as he sat down next to me.

“You should go back to the party,” I replied glumly. “I’m not in the mood for fun right now.”

“Bullshit,” he said, and I looked at him in surprise. He took a sip of the prosecco before continuing. “You were having fun earlier, now you’re not. And whatever you said in the Beach Hut, you’re clearly lying about it not having to do with anyone else.”

“That’s not—”

“Don’t lie to me, Josie,” he said curtly.

I bit my lip as I stared at him, debating what to tell him.

He shook his head in frustration, standing up and walking away. “So much for trusting me.”

_ Fuck. _

“Bobby, wait.”

He turned, and I motioned for him to come back. He did so, stopping in front of me. I reached forward, taking the bottle back out of his hand.

“Is that all you wanted? Bloody hell, Josie.”

He turned to leave again, but I grabbed his hand to stop him. “Sit.”

I brought the bottle to my lips, tipping it up to let the alcohol flow as I gulped it down, before passing it back to him and wiping my mouth. He did the same, then placed the bottle down on the ground and looked at me, waiting for me to speak.

“Promise me you won’t tell anyone else.”

He raised an eyebrow, before finally nodding. “I won’t.”

I nodded, then took a deep breath.

*********************

**_Morning, the day before_ **

_ I walked into the Beach Hut and sat down in the chair, clearing my throat. I looked up into the camera with a steady gaze. I was calm, collected, and ready to talk without emotions taking over. _

_ “So, Hope was the one who voted for Lucas to be dumped. He asked me not to confront her, so I haven’t – but that doesn’t mean I’m going to take her betrayal lying down, either. She probably thinks that because I haven’t yelled at her yet, that she’s gotten away with it. In fact, I hope that is what she thinks, because it means that she won’t expect what’s coming. _

_ “You see, I think that tweet about her was right. I think she’s playing the game to win, not to find love. Is it the money she’s after? The Instagram followers? The brand sponsorships? I don’t know for sure, but I think this ‘power couple’ thing she’s trying to go for with Noah is all just a part of her plan to win. _

_ “On day one, she found her strong and silent type. She probably figured they’d make a great couple, balancing each other out. Maybe she even thought he’d be too weak to leave her, I don’t know. Priya played right into her hands when she picked Noah on day two, and she got to play the victim. Is that why he picked her again on day three? Did he feel bad for leaving her, knowing that Priya would probably be fine with someone else? I don’t know how she did it, getting him to pick her again, because it’s clear he still has a thing for Priya. I wonder if she sees it. _

_ “When Lucas came in, Hope seemed really interested. He’s definitely her type, and if it’s money she’s after, he’s got it. But after their date, she said she was kind of bored – which didn’t make sense, because I could see them, and she did not look bored. I should have asked him about it when I had the chance, but it’s too late now, thanks to her. _

_ “Anyway, I think she realized during that date that he wasn’t into her, and that it wasn’t worth it to take the risk of getting to know him if it wasn’t going to go anywhere. I also think she didn’t want to look like she was playing Noah by chasing Lucas, so she felt it was safer to stick with Noah. She had to make sure she didn’t look like the bad guy, crawling back to Noah when things didn’t work with the shiny new toy. _

_ “So why did she feel she had to vote for Lucas to be dumped? I think she got scared. I think she overheard Priya saying that she thought Lucas and I could win the show together, and she was scared of that happening. So she voted for him, and he got dumped, and now her ‘power couple’ is safe. _

_ “But you know what? I’m going to do everything in my power to break her and Noah up. Tonight there’s a recoupling, and it’s girls’ choice. I’m going to talk to Priya, see if she’s still interested in Noah. If she is, I’ll encourage her to do something about it. If she’s not, well, maybe I’ll pick him myself, who knows. But, if Hope does get to pick him before Priya or I can, I’m not going to give up. I’m going to find a way to spoil her plan. I’m going to break them up, even if it’s the last thing I do in this villa.” _

_ I cleared my throat and looked straight into the camera lens. _

_ “Commencing ‘Operation Nope.’” _

*********************

I summarized what I had said in the beach hut for Bobby, then told him about Hope and Noah’s fight today and my subsequent conversations with each of them.

He had sat through my explanation with his finger on his lips, staring off into the distance, just listening. I looked at him expectantly when I finished, unable to read his expression.

“Well?” I asked, waiting for a reaction.

He chewed on his bottom lip for a moment before finally turning to look at me, his eyes narrowing.

“What are you playing at, Josie?”

I was taken aback by his response. “What do you mean, what am I playing at?”

“Is this just some sort of game to you? You can’t just go around plotting to break up other people’s couples!”

My jaw dropped. “But Hope—”

“Fuck, Josie! You have no proof of anything! You can speculate all you want, but what if you’re wrong, and Hope legitimately likes Noah?”

“Then why did she vote for Lucas?”

“I don’t know, but taking revenge by breaking up her couple isn’t going to bring him back. You’re with Henrik now, you need to move on.”

I sat there staring back at him, stunned.

He picked up the prosecco and took another large gulp before turning back to me.

“Honestly, what’s going on with you, Josie? First you kissed Gary and didn’t tell Lottie about it, then you and Rocco were at each other’s throats, and now this ‘Operation Nope’ business?” He rubbed the back of his neck, his brow furrowed. “I’m just not sure what to think anymore. Honest mistakes made in the moment are one thing, but revenge plots? That’s just malicious, and I can’t sit here and let you think I’m okay with it.”

I stared down at my hands, his words sinking in. He was right, of course. Plotting to break up Hope and Noah out of revenge made me just as bad as Hope, if not worse considering it was something I had been thinking about for a day and a half already, calculating, waiting for opportunities to strike. A word here, a comment there, and I was trying to topple the tower of their relationship one brick at a time while waiting for the moment to bring out the wrecking ball.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. He laid one of his hands upon mine, and I sniffled, trying to bite back the tears. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Bobby slipped his arm around me, pulling me against him, my back against his chest. I leaned back against him as he laid a small kiss on the top of my head.

“Promise me you won’t try to meddle with them anymore?”

“I promise.”

“Good. Now come back to the party and dance with me.”

I stiffened, not sure if I was ready yet to put on a happy face in front of the others, or especially to face the new girl again.

_ God, I hope she hasn’t blabbed about me to everyone without me there to stop her. _

Sensing my hesitation, Bobby sat us both up, turning me around to face him.

“Come, Josie. I must have you dance. I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner.”

I stared at him, before finally the hint of a smile formed on my lips.

“Okay, spill.”

“Spill what?” he asked innocently.

“That’s the second time this week that you’ve quoted Pride and Prejudice. Most guys our age don’t even know who Jane Austen is, let alone would they be quoting from one of her books.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Who’s Jane Austen?”

“Very funny. Now tell me!” I lightly punched him on the arm.

“Ow!” He grabbed his arm in pretend pain. “Tell you what?”

“How you’re able to quote Pride and Prejudice, silly!”

He finally grinned and shrugged. “My sister made me watch it.”

“Okay, and?” I sat back expectantly.

“And what?”

“My god, Bobby, why are you being so obstinate? If you’d only seen it once, you wouldn’t be quoting it –  _ word for word _ – twice within a few days.”

“Okay, fine,” he laughed. “She forced me to watch it with her one year at Christmas. At first I was just humouring her, but I actually kinda liked it. It was funnier than I expected! Anyway, it kind of became tradition for us to watch it together every year during the holidays.”

“Aw, that’s so cute!”

“Shut up,” he blushed, his smile betraying him.

“Well, Mr. Bingley,” I held out my hand, “since you insist, I would love to dance with you.”

He smirked as he grabbed my hand, and we headed back towards the dancefloor.

Just as we reached the floor, a slow song came on. I hesitated, but Bobby pulled me towards him, and I rested my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as we swayed.

“Thanks, B,” I said softly. “You always know what to say.”

He merely tightened his grip on me in response.

Behind me, someone cleared their throat.

“Mind if I cut in?”

Bobby’s arms loosened around me as I turned to see Henrik standing there expectantly.

“No problem,” Bobby said, and I gave him one last smile before leaving his arms and turning to Henrik.

“Come here, you,” the blond grinned, pulling me towards him. He brushed a strand of hair out of my face, looking down at me tenderly. “Everything alright? Sorry I didn't come find you, Bobby insisted on it.”

I smiled to myself, burying my face in Henrik’s chest. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Good,” he said, the smile evident in his voice.

He held me as we moved slowly in time with the music, until the song ended and the beat picked up with the next one. I spun around so my back was against his chest, and he ran his hands down my sides until they reached my hips and he pulled me even closer against him.

He was a better dancer than I had expected, and I was enjoying the feeling of our bodies moving together. Only a day ago I hadn’t even been considering him as a romantic option, but now I was starting to wonder why I hadn’t really seen him in that way before.

I turned back around to face him and looped my arms around his neck, tilting my head up to see him looking down at me. “Hi,” I said shyly.

“Hey there,” he smiled.

“Do you wanna maybe go for a chat?”

“I dunno, I was kind of enjoying having you pressed up against me like this,” he smirked.

I laughed. “Maybe if your chat’s good enough I’ll sit on your lap for a bit.”

His eyebrows raised. “Now that sounds good… and I think the party is starting to wind down, anyway.”

I looked around to see that some of the other islanders were drifting off towards the villa, and the music once again turned slow.

“Let’s go to the firepit,” I suggested.

He nodded, taking my hand in his as we left the dancefloor and crossed the lawn to the firepit. I sat in the centre of the bench and he placed his arm around my shoulders as he joined me.

“I thought you were going to sit on my lap,” he teased.

“Oh, you have to earn that first,” I countered with a smirk.

He turned serious, looking me straight in the eye. “I’ll do my best.”

I giggled, and the corners of his mouth twitched as he struggled to keep a straight face, before finally losing the battle.

“I think we’re going to have a lot of fun together,” he said.

“I hope so,” I smiled. “That sounds like exactly what I need. I mean, I have fun with Bobby, but he’s with Lottie now and I’m not exactly her favourite person at the moment.”

“Well, you can have fun with me. I really like you, Josie.”

“I’m starting to really like you, too,” I said softly.

Henrik cupped my face with his hand, leaning in towards me. His eyes flicked down to my lips and back up to my eyes, silently begging permission.

My lips parted as I nodded, and then his mouth pressed against mine – softly at first, as if testing the waters, before building in urgency. I threaded my hands into his hair, surprised at how silky smooth it was. His now-familiar lavender scent filled my senses as I pushed myself against him.

His strong arms grabbed my waist and pulled me up onto his lap, changing the angle of our kiss. Suddenly I remembered the last time I was in this position, in this very spot – was it really only two nights ago that I was kissing Lucas goodbye?

I pulled away, catching my breath. “Sorry,” I breathed, giving Henrik an apologetic look. I looked around at the lawn, which was now empty of anyone else, the lights dimmed. “We should probably be going to bed.”

“You’re right,” he said, picking me up off his lap and setting me on the ground as he stood up. He leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Race you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♥ Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Feel free to drop a comment, I love hearing from you!


	20. Boys' Day Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys get a text, leaving Josie with some time to try to sort out her relationships with the girls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note, I've changed the rating on this fic from Mature to Explicit. 
> 
> Special thanks to Finality2020 for your inspiration, NeLd13 for your help, and most especially sp3194 for your edits/suggestions!! 💕

“Josie,” someone whispered in my ear as I slowly roused from my sleep.

I rolled my body over as I opened my eyes to see Henrik’s green ones smiling back at me.

“Finally,” he grinned. “I’ve been waiting for you to wake up forever.”

“Did I sleep in?” I asked, rubbing my eyes. I sat up, looking at the empty beds around us. “Where’s everyone else?”

He pulled me back down, taking me into his arms. “They’re all outside already.”

“Mm,” I snuggled closer to him. “I’m much more comfortable here.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Maybe we should stay here awhile.”

“Maybe we should,” I agreed, sitting up a little so my face was just above his, placing my elbows on either side of his head. His eyes flicked to my lips, then back up to my eyes again as a corner of his mouth turned up.

He ran one of his hands down my side until he found the hem of my top, slipping underneath it and tracing my skin back upwards with his fingertips, causing a shiver to run down my back. My eyes closed, and he lifted his head up, just enough to brush his lips against mine softly. He laid his head back on the pillow and I followed it with my own, wanting more.

His hands settled on my waist under my shirt as I pressed my lips more firmly against his, and I let my fingers tangle in his hair as he tilted his head and his tongue lightly dragged across my lower lip. I parted my lips to grant him access and he accepted eagerly, leaning up further into me as the kiss deepened. His fingertips returned to their soft movements over the skin under my shirt and I felt a soft moan vibrate through his chest and into mine.

I pulled back slightly, breaking the kiss and giving him a soft smile. “You liked that, huh?”

“I’ve been waiting to get you alone for ages,” he grinned, leaning up to lay a brief kiss on the corner of my mouth before laying his head back on the pillow. “Now it’s like I can’t get enough.”

I smiled and lowered my head again, returning my lips to his. He tightened his hold on me and I lost myself in the feel of his muscular arms encircling me, his soft lips pressed hard against mine and his tongue exploring my mouth.

“Oh, shit,” came a voice from the doorway, and I pulled away at the intrusion, turning my head to find a flustered Bobby standing there. “Excuse me, coming through. Sorry!”

“Bobby, do you mind?” Henrik groaned.

“Sorry, sorry!” Bobby ran to his cupboard, using his hand as a shield over his eyes. I giggled at his discomfort as he rummaged through the cupboard, clumsily dropping things. “Shit! Just came to get my shower stuff.”

“Aww, there goes my idea of taking this into the shower,” I joked.

A hint of a smirk formed on Bobby’s lips as he finally grabbed his things and closed the cupboard door. He paused, his hand lingering on the door handle, before turning around. “Did you ever notice how each bed has a different picture over it?” He looked intently at each image, stroking his chin as he strolled towards the bedroom door. “Palm tree, ice cream cone…”

“Bobby!” Henrik yelled, and Bobby giggled as he ran the last few steps out the door.

My whole body shook as I laughed, and I rolled away from Henrik onto my back.

Bobby’s voice could be heard from the stairway as he began loudly singing Mousse T’s ‘Horny 98.’ “I’m horny, horny, horny, horny… So horny, so horny, horny, horny, tonight!”

Henrik sighed. “Well, there goes my idea.”

I laughed, rolling back over onto his chest again. “What, did you actually think you were about to get some?” I playfully rubbed my nose against his as he growled, grabbing my hips. I looked towards the doorway, then back at Henrik, biting my lip. “I have an idea.”

I brought my head down, whispering my plan in his ear. “Here’s what we’re going to do…”

*********

I stood with my ear up against the closed bedroom door, waiting for the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Finally, I heard the telltale creak of the top step, and whirled around.

“He’s coming!” I whispered loudly to Henrik, who quickly tapped the screen of his phone before shoving it under the duvet on our bed.

I grabbed his hand and pulled him outside, where we scrambled to the other side of the kitchen counter and sat ourselves on the bar stools facing the villa door. We each picked up a slice of the toast I had prepared and started eating, acting nonchalant as we waited.

A red-faced Bobby stumbled out the door, swearing as he dropped the toiletries he was carrying and shut the door behind him, leaning against it with his eyes closed. I tried to stifle a giggle, but his head jerked up at the sound, stopping short as he noticed us. He looked behind him at the door, then back at us with a frown, his brows furrowed.

I burst into laughter, turning to Henrik to give him a high five.

Bobby looked back again at the door, finally turning and walking back into the bedroom.

I hopped off my stool to follow him, Henrik close behind me.

When we walked back into the bedroom, Bobby was staring at our bed, his arms crossed over his chest. The room was silent except for my giggles.

I walked over to the bed, throwing back the duvet to reveal the pillows we had stuffed under it to look like human forms, along with Henrik’s phone, a sound recording app open on the screen. I picked up the phone and pressed the ‘play’ button, and the sound of Henrik and I making sex noises came through the speakers.

“No, shut that off!” Bobby put his hands over his ears. “You’ve had your fun, nobody wants to hear that anymore.”

I giggled as I tapped the screen and the noises ceased. “The look on your face… priceless!”

“Shut up,” he mumbled.

“Aw, cupcake,” I teased. “I didn’t think you’d be the type that could dish out the pranks but not be able to handle being on the receiving end.”

He coughed. “Yeah, well, that one was…” he cleared his throat, tapping his chest with his fist.

“It was good, wasn’t it?” I grinned.

He finally looked up at me, the corners of his mouth turning up. “Fine, yes, you got me good with that one.” He shook his head. “Fuck…”

I grinned triumphantly, turning to Henrik to give him a high five. “Good job, babe.”

“I think I need another shower,” Bobby said with a shiver. “I feel dirty.”

“Oh, whatever,” I laughed, gave him a light smack on the arm. “C’mon, Henrik, let’s go finish our breakfast.”

The three of us went back outside, Henrik and I returning to our abandoned toast while Bobby headed towards a group of islanders on the lawn, gathered around the two newcomers.

By the time we finished eating and washing up, the girls were sitting on the lawn in front of the gym, ogling Jakub’s physique as he worked out. By the looks of things, he was clearly enjoying himself, and the girls were happy for the free gun show.

I knew I should make an effort to get to know the guy, considering I’d done nothing more than introduce myself and then disappear last night, but at a glance he didn’t seem to be my type, and I was happy getting to know Henrik. It also didn’t help that Lottie and Chelsea were among the girls sitting by the gym, chatting and giggling away as if they’d been friends forever. I also needed to clear the air with the new girl, but I wasn’t about to pull her for a chat with Lottie sitting right there.

I was about to pull Henrik towards the bean bags instead, but the sound of an incoming text forced us to head over to the gym to listen.

Gary pulled out his phone and read: “’Boys, you’re all heading on a lads’ day out. Please get ready to leave the villa. #beersandbros #nogirlsallowed’” He gave a fist pump. “Yes, lads!”

I groaned inwardly.

_ Can I go with them? _

Seeing the disappointment on my face, Henrik squeezed my hand. “Sorry, babe.”

“But that doesn’t make sense,” Priya pouted. “How are we supposed to get to know the new guy if he’s out with the lads?”

“Plenty of time for that, ladies!” Jakub grinned, puffing out his chest.

“We’ve only just had a recoupling two nights ago,” Hope said. “I’m sure there will be plenty of time to get acquainted before the next one.”

“What are we waiting for?” Gary clapped his hands, looking around at the other guys. “Let’s go get some beer! Lads day out!”

The boys whooped and yelled as they ran towards the villa to get ready.

“So, what do we do while they’re gone?” Priya asked.

Marisol shrugged. “Same thing we do when they’re here? Lounge around and chat?”

I looked mournfully towards the villa where the boys had disappeared.

_ Come back soon… _

I turned and headed towards the sun loungers, hoping that the girls would leave me to sunbathe in peace. I was just about to sit down on the lounger at the far end when the patter of footsteps came quickly up behind me.

“Josie!”

I groaned, turning around to see the new girl approaching. I took a seat on the lounger and sat back, putting my sunglasses on and closing my eyes in the hopes that she would just leave.

“I wanted to apologize for last night,” she said.

I cracked an eye open to see that she had sat herself down on the lounger next to mine, staring at me with a hopeful expression.

“So apologize, then.”

“I’m really sorry, Josie,” the words spilled out. “It was never meant to be personal. All I want is for us to be friends!”

I pushed the sunglasses down my nose, looking at her over the top of them. “Friends? You have a funny way of making friends.”

“I’m sorry! I don’t know what came over me, I just – someone asked a question and I said the first thing that came into my head! It happens to me  _ all _ the time, I can’t help it!”

_ Does this girl have a stop button? _

I pulled the glasses off my face, sitting up and turning to face her. “Do you realize what you almost did? The stupid operation isn’t happening anymore anyway, thanks to Bobby talking me out of it, but if everyone else had found out about it…” I shook my head. “Disaster.”

“Can you forgive me? I just want a second chance at a first impression, it’s never too late to fix anything.”

I raised an eyebrow. “A second first impression? That doesn’t even make sense.”

“Oh, there’s always a second first! That’s what I like to say. I cross my heart never meant to sound like I was attacking anyone.”

I looked at her intently. She really had the puppy eye expression down pat, but she looked like she meant it. Finally, I sighed.

“Okay, it was wrong of me to say what I did in the first place, especially in front of a camera, knowing it would be aired for everyone to see. That was my mistake, and other than mentioning that I said something juicy, you didn’t reveal anything important. So, I’ll forgive you – but you have to promise never to tell anyone what I said, on pain of death.”

Her eyes shone as she gave me a huge smile. “I promise! Pinky swear?” She held out her hand, pinky extended.

I hesitated, then rolled my eyes as I linked my pinky with hers. “Fine, pinky swear.”

Chelsea squealed in excitement, then nearly knocked me over as she quickly leaned over to give me a hug.

“Whoa!” I put my hands up, trying to keep from falling over backwards.

“Sorry! I’m just, like, so excited to be here with you! I feel like I already know you, and we could just go out for Pinot Grigios, like, tomorrow! That time when Lucas and Henrik came in and you just, like, ran down without telling anybody else?”

_ Oh my goodness, she talks even faster when she’s excited. _

“I was like, ‘that’s my girl’! And then it was so heartbreaking when Lucas had to leave,” she sniffed.

I cleared my throat. “Right… well, if you don’t mind, now that you’ve got your second chance at a first impression, maybe we could save that first impression for a bit later? I was really hoping to just lounge here by myself for a bit.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, of course! You’re a genius! Yes, we’ll have our second first impression later!”

I breathed a sigh of relief as she got up and walked away towards the others.

_ That was surprisingly easy. But boy, that girl seems like a handful. _

I pushed down the lounger so it lay flat, turning onto my stomach and untying my bikini top. Unfortunately I couldn’t get the peace and quiet I craved, however, as I could easily hear Chelsea’s giggles and squeals from wherever the other girls were hanging around. After a few minutes the noise began grating on my nerves, so I tied my top back on and got up, heading into the villa.

I went through the bedroom and headed into the living room, stretching out on one of the couches. Typically the producers didn’t like it when we spent time alone indoors – they wanted us outside in groups as much as possible, so that we weren’t being too boring in front of the cameras – but I figured I had given them enough footage they could put on TV, so I deserved a break.

The break was short-lived, however, as Priya came bursting through the door, dragging an unhappy Lottie behind her. I lifted my head up as they came in, then dropped it back down in frustration.

_ Can’t I get a moment’s peace while the boys are gone? _

Priya directed Lottie to sit on the opposite side of the couch, then she turned to me with her hands on her hips.

“Move,” she said, nodding towards my legs.

I glared at her, but moved my legs onto the floor, pulling myself into a sitting position as she sat in the space my legs had just vacated. “What’s going on?”

“I heard you made up with Chelsea,” Priya said, “so now I want you and Lottie to put an end to this frostiness between you. It’s been going on for days now, and it’s time to make up so that the rest of us don’t have to keep tiptoeing around you. And what better time than while the guys are away?”

I looked over at Lottie. She sat straight forward with her eyes down, fiddling with her fingernails. She didn’t look particularly happy to be in the room with me, but she also wasn’t leaving despite having the chance to do so. She seemed resigned to the fact that we needed to finally clear the air between us.

“Fine,” I agreed. “If Lottie’s ready to hear my apology, then I’m ready to give it.”

Priya brightened, looking back and forth between Lottie and myself. “Great!”

I faced Lottie, looking straight at her despite her not making eye contact. “Lottie, I’m sorry for kissing Gary. But more importantly, I’m sorry for not telling you – it was selfish of me, and it only made things worse in the long run. The thing is, you were already upset about the way the recoupling went, and Hannah being dumped, so I didn’t want to make things worse by telling you I kissed your partner.”

She finally looked up at me with narrowed eyes. “So that night in the bathroom, you had just kissed him but didn’t want to tell me because I was already upset?”

I swallowed. “Not exactly. After we talked, I went downstairs and saw that he was in the living room. We hadn’t had a chance to talk about how the recoupling went yet, so I went in. We talked about what had happened, and what we were going to do, and then… well, then he kissed me.”

“And did you stop him?” she asked, eyes flashing.

“No, I didn’t.”

She threw her hands in the air in frustration. “So you knew I was upset, but you went and kissed him anyway.”

“I was upset too, okay?” I threw back. “I had just been picked by someone whom I had no interest in, and the guy I actually wanted to be with was kissing me. Do you really think I was thinking about you at that moment?”

She jumped up off the couch. “See? That’s your problem, you don’t think!”

“Guys, calm down!” Priya quickly got up and went to Lottie’s side to prevent her from leaving the room. She threw me a pleading look.

_ Oh, screw this. _

I stood and began pacing in front of them. “Real talk? Who really cares? I get that ‘girl code’ means something to you, but it was the third fucking day in the villa, and you’d been coupled up with Gary for all of an hour. If he was your boyfriend or you legitimately liked him at that point, then I could understand being upset, but you were coupled up together for a fucking reality TV show! I liked him, he liked me, we kissed. Big. Fucking. Deal. I didn’t tell you because you were already upset and I didn’t want to pile on and make things worse, so excuse me for trying to spare your fucking feelings!”

I stalked over to the doorway before whirling around to face her again. “Oh, and by the way? I kissed him again before brunch.” With that I exited the room, slamming the door shut behind me. I went through the bedroom to go outside, hurriedly making my way across the decking towards the pool and ripping my microphone pack off my body.

“Josie!” Chelsea waved from the daybed, but I ignored her, reaching the pool and diving straight into the deep water, kicking downwards until I could touch the bottom of the pool. I stayed there until my lungs started to burn from the lack of oxygen, and finally allowed myself to float to the surface, gasping for air. I swam over to the edge and gazed out over the hills, looking for a pair of Jeeps returning to the villa, with no luck. It would probably be hours before the boys came back.

I let go of the edge and relaxed, allowing myself to float on my back, breathing in deeply and exhaling slowly.

I floated for a few minutes before hearing a splash in the water, and I pulled myself up to take a look. Priya surfaced and began swimming towards me.

“I’m sorry for trying to force you guys to make up,” she said when she reached me.

“Don’t be,” I replied. “You were right to make the attempt, at least.”

She gave a sigh of relief. “You’re right, you know. People make such a big deal out of little things in here. Being in a couple doesn’t really mean anything unless you’ve got an actual understanding with someone. Lottie came at me for what I did during the slime challenge, and at you for the kisses with Gary, but she’s really taking it too far now.”

“Thanks, Pri.” We swam over to the ledge, and I rested my elbows on it, facing the villa. “I’m glad I have your support, at least. At this point, I’ve apologized, said my piece, and I’m going to leave it at that. I’m moving on, and if she wants to keep holding a grudge, that’s her problem.”

“Good for you,” she smiled. “Now, where are those floaties? I look better on top of the water than in the water.”

*********

Priya and I had just gotten out of the pool when the boys finally came back. I almost squealed at the sight of them walking out of the villa, and ran over to meet them. When Henrik saw me coming he grinned, spreading his arms wide. I threw my arms around his neck, reaching up to give him a quick kiss as his arms closed around me.

“Oh, hello,” he smiled, leaning down to kiss me again. “Miss me?”

“Terribly,” I pouted. “Never leave me alone with the girls ever again.”

“I’ll try, but I can’t make any promises. I must do as the villa gods order.”

I scoffed as I released him from my hug. “That’s no fun. You gotta rebel a little, sometimes!”

He laughed and took my hand as we headed towards the firepit along with the rest of the islanders. He took a seat on the bench and I sat on his lap, resting my arm over his shoulders. 

“So what did you guys do?” I asked the guys, leaning my body into Henrik as he put his arm around me, his hand resting on my hip.

“We went to a brewery,” Gary replied, his face lighting up. “It was amazing, they took us on a tour and everything.”

“We got to sample their different varieties,” Rahim added, “and then they took us out to a courtyard where they gave us food and whichever beer we liked best.”

“And some of the beers were pirate-themed, so Bobby started talking like a pirate.”

“And then he wouldn’t stop!” Noah rolled his eyes.

“Blimey!” Bobby grinned, tapping his leg excitedly. “I'll strap a cannon to yer bootstraps an' send ye to Davy Jones, ye pox-faced, scabby sea bass!” 

“Now look what you’ve started again,” Rahim complained, throwing his hands up in frustration as he looked up at the sky.

“OMG that’s hilarious!” Chelsea giggled. “I, like, totally love pirates!”

“No, don’t encourage—”

“We'll feed ye to the sharks, ye wretched, pitiful landlubber!”

“This is interesting,” Marisol mused, tapping her finger on her lips as she looked at Bobby thoughtfully. “Bobby is clearly very familiar with pirate lingo, even now as an adult. The fact that he can so readily speak it could indicate—”

“Oh, give it a rest, Marisol,” I rolled my eyes. “It indicates intelligence and quick-wittedness. You don’t need to analyze a perfectly normal childhood passion.” 

“Aye, ‘tis all shipshape in me head, savvy?” Bobby grinned, throwing a wink in my direction.

“I think it’s fun!” Priya smiled. “Bobby, you should teach us some words and phrases.”

Marisol and Hope groaned.

“Aye, we can—”

_ DING! _

Chelsea looked at her phone and squealed. “OMG! I finally get to say it! Guys! I got a text!”

“Sink me! What’s the parlay?”

Lottie gave Bobby a nudge. “Shh!”

“’Chelsea and Jakub, it’s time to play the field! Tonight, you will each have a dinner date with two islanders of your choice. One will prepare the starter and the other will prepare the main course. #dishydates #choosewisely #dontsettle’ OMG! I’m going on a date!”

“Hun, you’re going on two dates,” Marisol smirked.

“Really? Oh, we each get two dates? And we get to choose anyone?” Chelsea’s eyes widened.

“That’s what it says.”

“How exciting! Let’s see. Hmm. For my first date, I’m going to choose…” she paused, wiggling her finger in the air, before pointing at Gary. “Gary! Will you go on a date with me, babes?”

“Yes! Get in!” Gary pumped his first with a grin, while Marisol frowned beside him.

“Amazeballs!”

“Wait, did you miss the part about your dates cooking for you?” Bobby laughed. “Do you really want Gary making your food?”

“Oh! That’s okay, I don’t eat much. The second person I want to take on a date is…” Chelsea wiggled her finger again, “Henrik! Will you be my second first date, Henrik?”

I narrowed my eyes, my arm tightening around his shoulders. He responded by giving me a light squeeze, before turning to Chelsea.

“Yeah, sure,” he agreed. “At least I can cook a bit.”

She beamed at him, then looked at me. “Promise I’ll bring him back in one piece!” she said, before turning to Jakub. “Your turn, babes.”

Jakub grinned, puffing out his chest. “Right, I’ve done a lot of big thinking about this. And the first girl I’d like to take on a date is… Hope.” 

“Oh!” Hope gave a panicked look. “I can’t cook, either!”

“Yeah, don’t you remember when she said she messed up instant gravy?” Bobby shook his head in disgust. “Instant gravy!”

Jakub shrugged. “It’s about the company, not the food. I just want to get to know her better.”

“Your funeral,” Bobby muttered under his breath, and I put my hand over my mouth to stifle my giggle.

Jakub looked around the firepit at the girls, trying to decide who to take for his second date. “You girls sure make it hard.”

Bobby muffled a laugh, then let out a squeal when Lottie jabbed him with her elbow. 

Jakub’s eyes fell on Priya, and he smiled. “And for my second date, I’d like to take Priya.”

She gave him a big smile. “I’d love to!”

“Sick.”

The group began to disperse from the firepit as Gary and Hope went to get ready to prepare their starters, so I pulled Henrik aside to the daybeds to discuss his upcoming date with Chelsea.

“So, what are you going to cook?” I asked, settling in among the pillows.

He lay on his stomach facing me. “I guess it depends what’s available. I once served a date fried mushrooms with blackberry sauce on a bed of edible lichen.”

“Lichen? Really?”

He wrinkled his nose. “Yeah, in hindsight the lichen wasn’t the greatest move. And I doubt we have any, anyway.”

“Too bad,” I smirked. “That would’ve been a good way to scare her off.”

Henrik raised an eyebrow and gave me a cocky grin. “And you want me to scare her off, do you?”

I blushed. “Maybe I just want to keep you to myself.”

He crawled towards me on his elbows until his face was level with mine. “Don’t worry,” he whispered into my ear, “I’ve only got eyes for one woman in here.”

He began leaving a trail of soft kisses along my jawline, working his way down my throat before bringing his lips up to mine, claiming them hungrily. I placed a hand on the back of his neck, bringing him closer, while my other hand moved to his chest, tracing his muscles with my fingertips. 

“I wish I wasn’t going on this date,” he murmured when he pulled away.

“Me too,” I said, pulling him back towards me. 

*********

Gary’s and Hope’s appetizers went off without a hitch, mostly thanks to Bobby, who supervised them in the kitchen “to make sure the new islanders didn’t get poisoned.” Henrik and Priya were now in the kitchen preparing the main course, Jakub and Chelsea were seated at tables on the lawn, and the rest of us gathered in the living room to pass the time.

Bobby’s services weren’t needed this time, as both Priya and Henrik were capable in the kitchen, so I found myself seated next to him on the couch as Gary and Hope described their dates. I yawned and rested my head on his shoulder. 

“You okay?” he asked quietly. I nodded, but he wasn’t convinced. “Are you worried about Henrik’s date?”

“Not really, no.”

“C’mon, let’s go get some fresh air.” He pulled me up off the couch and led me to the roof terrace.

“I heard you and Lottie had a chat today,” he said as we sat down.

I snorted. “If that’s what you want to call it.”

“Why don’t you tell me what happened?”

I explained how my attempt at an apology had turned into yet another yelling match, my frustration growing as I spoke. “Was I wrong?” I asked, looking up at him. “I’m so sick of this hanging over my head, and I really don’t see why she’s still so upset about it. The kiss itself really shouldn’t be that big of a deal. I know I should have told her about it earlier so she wouldn’t find out during a challenge, but my heart was in the right place.”

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “This has definitely gone on long enough. Do you want me to have a chat with her?”

“Would you? If she’ll listen to anyone, it would be you.”

I heard the distinctive sound of Chelsea’s laughter coming from the lawn below, so I looked over the edge to see her and Henrik chatting over their meal. I couldn’t help but scowl.

“You like him, don’t you?” Bobby said, watching my face.

“I do,” I nodded with a smile, turning back around so I couldn’t see them together. “I didn’t really expect it, but he’s been good for me.”

“I can see that,” he said, giving me a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“What about you?” I asked. “I hear you and Lottie are just friends. For a moment there I thought there might be something more between you…”

He raised his eyebrows. “Me and Lottie? Nah, we’re firmly in the friend zone.”

I reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. “I wish you would find someone. I hate to see you going from friendship couple to friendship couple.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Ah, you know me, everyone’s best friend but nobody’s boyfriend. What’s that saying? Always the bridesmaid, never the bride?”

I knew he was trying to pass it off as a joke, but my heart ached at the meaning behind the words.

“What about Chelsea?” I nodded my head towards the lawn. “I’m surprised she didn’t choose you for one of her dates. She could certainly match your energy.”

He hesitated, before a cheeky grin crossed his face and he glanced at me. “She is tolerable, I suppose,” he said with an affected accent, “but not handsome enough to tempt me.”

I burst into laughter and gave him a playful smack on the arm. “Oh, stop it!”

“Nah, but seriously,” he sobered. “She’s a nice girl, but not my type.”

I wrapped my arms around him, resting my head on his chest. “Well, hopefully soon your perfect girl will walk into the villa, and neither of you will friend-zone each other.”

His arms came up around my waist, returning the hug as he rested his chin on my head. “Right. My perfect girl...”

*********

I entered the bedroom at the end of the night and immediately met Henrik’s gaze from where he sat with his back up against the headboard of our bed. I smiled as his eyes lowered, taking in the lace-edged silk nightdress I was wearing with a hungry look.

I walked over to his side of the bed and stopped beside him. “Got room in there for one more?” I winked.

“For you? Always,” he grinned as he quickly shuffled over, lifting the duvet to allow me to slip under it.

I leaned over to give him a warm, gentle kiss as he ran his hand down my side beneath the duvet. I pulled back, not wanting to get carried away while the others were still milling about, and settled my head down on the pillow.

“You look nice tonight,” he said, following my lead and settling down opposite me, our faces inches apart. His hand was still on my waist and he slowly moved it downwards, over my hip until he reached the hem of the skirt.

“I figured you’ve earned a chance to see me in something nicer than shorts and a t-shirt,” I smiled.

“You’re beautiful no matter what you’re wearing,” he whispered.

The bedroom lights went out, and as my eyes adjusted to the darkness the only sensation I was aware of was Henrik’s hand moving up along the curve of my hip, under the fabric of my nightdress, skin against skin. He slipped his other arm underneath me, pulling me closer to him as our lips met again, more urgently this time.

He brushed his fingers along my back, sending tingles down my spine, and I hooked my leg over his, feeling his shaft against my stomach.

I pulled the duvet over our heads as his hand moved from my back towards my front, cupping my breast and brushing my nipple with his thumb. I moaned, and he released my mouth to kiss his way down my throat and décolletage, finally reaching the space between my breasts. I reached down to grab the edge of the nightdress and pulled it up over my head, giving him better access. He took advantage immediately, licking around my nipple before taking it into his mouth, then rolling me onto my back and moving his lips to the other breast.

I took his hand and moved it downwards, towards my core, my breath catching in my throat as he touched me through the lace of my panties, all the while licking and sucking my breasts. I threaded my fingers through his hair, holding him against me as I arched my back in pleasure.

“More,” I whispered.

He rolled my nipple between his teeth as he moved my panties aside, stroking my slit as he lightly traced circles around my clit with his thumb. I bucked my hips against his hand, needing more, and he slipped a finger between my wet folds, then added a second. I put a hand over my mouth to stifle my moans as he pumped his fingers in and out of me.

I was getting close, but still I wanted more.

“Henrik,” I lifted his head off my breast reluctantly, and he brought his lips back up to take mine in a deep kiss as my walls tightened around his fingers. “Do you have a condom?”

I suddenly felt empty as he released me so he could reach into the side table, coming up with a small foil packet. He ripped it open with his teeth and pulled his boxers down, his dick springing free. He rolled the condom on and I rolled onto my side, hooking my leg over his. He positioned himself at my entrance and pushed into me, and I gasped at the sudden sensation of fullness. He felt so good inside me, stretching my walls, and I began to roll my hips against him, matching his movements as he thrust himself inside me.

I lowered my hand to rub my clit, and soon my body was shuddering, my walls pulsing around his cock as I came. He stilled, allowing me to ride out my high around him, then he pulled all the way out and thrust all the way back in again, picking up the pace as he sought his own climax.

He bucked his hips against me and I clenched my walls around him as he finally came, moaning and holding me close, his cock pulsing inside me. 

I stroked his hair as we held each other, then placed my hands on either side of his face as I brought my lips to his in a slow, lingering kiss.

“Was that worth waiting for?” I asked softly.

“Good god, yes,” he smiled against me, capturing my lips once more.

We finally separated so I could pull my nightdress back on as he disposed of the condom, then I rolled over as he pulled me against him and we drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!! 💕 Kudos/comments are appreciated!


	21. Coming Clean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The islanders get muddy, and secrets are revealed!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to the Kats for helping to spice up this chapter! ❤

“I’m not a gorilla.”

“You totes are! Look at you. You’re so big – not to mention hairy.”

I groaned into my pillow as I woke to loud voices in the bedroom.

_ Ugh, what on earth are they on about? _

I rolled over to see that most of the other islanders were sitting up in their beds. Noah was still asleep, but Priya, Hope, and Jakub were missing. Gary had vacated his own bed and was lying on his side on Chelsea’s instead, propped up by an elbow.

“I’m not that hairy,” he said, looking down at his chest hair and running his fingers through it. “It’s blond, you can hardly see it.”

“You’re like – a sexy gorilla!” Chelsea added.

He grinned up at her. “Okay, I’ll take that.”

“She’s not wrong, Big G,” Bobby piped up from the next bed over. “It’s like you’ve got a full-body halo going on. A fuhbalo.”

“Did you just try to squash ‘full-body halo’ together into one word?” Lottie asked.

“Try? Psh. I would say I succeeded.”

I smiled to myself as I sat up, resting against the headboard. My movement roused Henrik, and he pulled himself up, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me close.

“Morning, sexy,” he whispered into my ear, his stubble tickling my cheek.

“Mate, that should be one of our words!” Rahim said.

“Good morning,” I turned to Henrik, tuning out the conversation around me as we kissed, long and slow.

There was a soft  _ thump _ as a pillow hit my shoulder and landed beside me.

“Get a room, guys!”

I broke away and laughed. “We’re literally in our bed, where do you want us go to?”

“Somewhere we can’t see – or hear – you,” Marisol smirked.

I felt my face redden.

_ Oh shit, could they hear us last night? I thought we managed to be pretty quiet! _

Bobby cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. “We’re trying to come up with a word to prank Jakub with.”

“Did you guys know he irons his socks?” Gary shook his head incredulously. “I’ve never met someone so extra.”

“At least he knows how to iron,” Noah sat up in his bed, shooting Gary a look before yawning. “You guys are well loud.”

“Are you in, Noah?” Rahim asked. “We’re pranking Jakub.”

Noah shrugged. “Maybe. Depends on the prank.”

Bobby turned to me and Henrik. “You guys in?”

“It would be nice not to be on the receiving end this time…” Henrik said.

“Sorry, babe,” I placed a hand on his knee and gave it a light squeeze before looking back at Bobby. “I’m in. Have you guys got a word already?”

“So I’ve actually been thinking about this for a while,” Bobby said, dropping his voice into a conspiratorial tone. “I reckon I’ve got a few good contenders.”

He held up three fingers and folded each one down, one by one, as he counted off the words.

“Homebrew, al dente, and ding.”

“Okay, so what do they all mean?” Gary asked.

“You know how people who homebrew always wanna tell you about it because they think it makes them cool, but it’s actually really try-hard? So if someone thinks they’re being cool but they’re actually being a bit of a nob. You’d be like… ‘gettin’ a little homebrew there, mate.’”

There were nods of understanding around the group.

“So, al dente. You know when pasta’s cooked just right? Not too hard, not too soft…”

“Like the little bear’s porridge in the Goldilocks story,” Rahim offered. “Not too hot, not too cold.”

“Not too extra, not too chill,” Bobby nodded.

“It’s spot on, right? So if something’s perfect, you’d be like… ‘al dente, mate.’”

“And ‘ding’?” Lottie asked.

“What’s sexier,” Bobby paused, looking around at the group before resting his eyes on me, “than a notification? The answer’s ‘nothing.’”

“Ding is like that sound you hear when a notification comes through on your phone,” Rahim clarified. “And when you hear it, you can’t ignore it. You have to check your phone. So if someone is irresistibly sexy, you’ll be like… ‘mate, she’s ding.’”

“It’s also just a satisfying sound,” Bobby added. “Like…  _ ding. _ Am I right, or am I right?”

“What kind of monsters are just going around without their phones on silent?” Marisol’s face screwed in disgust. “Except, like, in here obviously.”

I rolled my eyes, biting my tongue.

Bobby looked affronted. “And silence the sexiness of the ding? I think I know who the real monster is.” He looked around. “Anyone got a favourite?”

“Ding! Ding! Ding!” Chelsea exclaimed.

“I don’t know, I kind of like ‘al dente,’” Lottie countered. “Like Rahim said, it’s just right.”

“Jakub’s pretty extra, though, right?” I said. “He’s a bit homebrew, if you ask me.”

Bobby nodded, stroking his chin. “You’re right, it seems appropriate, doesn’t it? Alright, let’s take a vote!”

After a show of hands, we decided on the word ‘homebrew.’

“But remember, guys. Top secret. So don’t get all homebrew, eh?”

*********

After a quick workout and shower, I was pulled into the Beach Hut to talk about my developing relationship with Henrik and last night’s bedroom antics.

_ Ugh. None of your business, people. We’re in a villa full of attractive people wearing nothing but swimsuits all day, and we share beds at night, of course we’re going to fuck.  _

Afterwards, I went into the dressing room and sat down at the vanity to do my hair and makeup. The room was warmer than usual, and when I looked behind me I discovered that the door to the terrace has been left slightly ajar, allowing the hot air in from outside.

I got up and walked over to the door, and as I reached for the handle to close it, I paused when I heard voices.

“I can’t get you out of my head, to be honest,” a man’s voice said.

I pulled my hand back from the doorknob like it had been burnt. Closing the door now would only alert whoever was outside to my presence. I leaned closer to the gap in the door to try to make out who was speaking.

“I know how you feel. I keep wondering what would’ve happened if things had gone differently.”

_ Priya. And Noah. Oh my god. _

“I’m kicking myself for not picking you when I had a chance. I have nobody to blame but myself.”

“You were in a tough position, babes. How could you be expected to choose between us?”

“I went with my head over my heart. I didn’t expect things to go the way they have, and now I feel like I’m in too deep. I actually do like Hope, so how can I break her heart? It’s not like the real world where you can break up with someone and not see them again. We live together; how could I move on and be happy with someone else while I have to watch her being upset?”

“I wish there were an easier way.”

“It would be nice if her and Jakub got close. He could do me a pretty big favour by taking her off my hands.”

I backed away from the door slowly and as noiselessly as I could. I had heard enough, and knew I shouldn’t be eavesdropping. I grabbed my makeup bag from the counter and headed into the bathroom to finish doing my makeup there. Just as I was finishing up, I heard footsteps from the direction of the dressing room. They passed by, not seeing me.

_ Whew. Glad I didn’t have to explain why I was doing my makeup in the bathroom instead of the dressing room. _

I returned my makeup to the dressing room, then headed outside. I spotted Henrik lounging on a bean bag, and headed over to join him. Picking up a bean bag, I dropped it right next to him and sank into it, before leaning over to give him a kiss.

“Mm. Hello,” he said, pulling me back towards him when I began to pull away. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Oh, just marking my territory,” I laughed, settling into his arms.

“I’m all yours,” he grinned.

“Oh, really? Are these mine?” I rolled over onto my side, facing him, and traced my fingers along his muscles, feeling goosebumps rising beneath my fingertips.

“Yup, they’re yours.”

My hands reached his, and our fingers intertwined. “And these?”

“Mmhmm,” he nodded, leaning in to press his lips against mine.

I removed my hand from his and placed it on his stomach, slowly moving my way down to the waistband of his shorts. “And what about…”

_ DING! _

“Fuck,” he growled, as I removed my hand to pick up my phone. I smirked as a flush came over his face and he shifted in the beanbag while I moved back onto my own.

“Guys, I’ve got a text!” I yelled over my shoulder, as the other islanders came over. 

“’Islanders, get ready to find out who scrubs up and who’s ready to dish the dirt. Time for today’s challenge. #getthoseskeletonsout #scrubupnicely’”

“Mate,” Jakub said, “that’s homebrew.”

*********

The sign over the challenge stage read “Coming Clean,” and there were paddling pools on either side, each with slides leading into them. One pool contained mud, the other was filled with soapy water and sponges. In between the two pools was a small table holding a pile of envelopes – one marked ‘boys’ and one marked ‘girls.’

Jakub leaned over the mud pool, wrinkling his nose. “That’s homebrew, that is.”

“You’re still using it wrong, mate,” Rahim shook his head. “Mud ain’t homebrew.”

“Yeah, I know that,” Jakub blushed slightly, but otherwise kept a straight face. “I was just using it ironically, like.”

_ I thought this guy watched the show. How on earth has he not figured this out by now? _

“You can’t be ironic about homebrew,” Bobby said.

“Got a text!” Priya cut in. “’Islanders, in today’s challenge you need to come clean! The envelopes provided contain secrets about your fellow islanders. If you choose to open an envelope and read a secret, you’ll have to slide into the mud. If you resist temptation and keep it sealed, you’ll be washed clean by the person whose secret remains inside.’”

“Woo!” Chelsea exclaimed. “Best challenge ever!”

We lined up on either side, and Henrik picked up the first envelope from the pile. It had Lottie’s name on it, and she blushed when he started opening it.

“They don’t call me ‘Swamp Monster’ for nothing,” he grinned. “Love me some mud.”

He opened it, laughing as he read: “During sex with her ex-boyfriend, Lottie called out his brother’s name – on more than one occasion.”

Her blush deepened as she bit her lip, shrugging. “We weren’t together for long, and they had similar names, okay? Anyway, looks like you’re first on the slide, Henrik.”

“Looks like I am.” He climbed up the ladder and let out a whoop as he slid down, splashing into the mud below. He came up covered. “Come on in, guys. The mud’s warm!”

As he returned to his place in line, he ran over to where I was standing and threw his arms around me.

“Eek! Get off me!” I laughed. He released me and I looked down at my mud-covered skin. “Guess you’re just going to have to wash me,” I winked.

“You’ve got to get my envelope, first,” he grinned. He turned and I smacked his bum as he walked back to his spot in line, smirking at him as he winked back at me over his shoulder.

Hope was first up for the girls and smiled up at Noah as she picked up the top envelope, which had his name on it. She gasped as she read it silently, glancing at him with wide eyes before reading it aloud: “Noah’s special date move is to take girls back to the library where he works, for ‘extra-curricular activities’ in the romance aisle.”

“Noah, you saucy git!” Gary reached over and shoved him playfully.

Noah barely reacted, just standing there with a smirk on his face. “You know what this means, right, Hope?”

Chelsea clapped her hands. “Slidey time! Slidey time!”

Hope sighed dramatically as she climbed the ladder and slid down, coming up sputtering. “Gross. I’m not reading anyone else’s secrets.”

Gary picked up the next envelope. “When Marisol got into law school and didn’t have enough scholarship money to cover the tuition, she briefly worked as a cam girl to make up the difference.” His jaw dropped as he looked up at her. “No fucking way!”

She crossed her arms, lifting her chin slightly. “There’s nothing wrong with that. There are plenty of ways for women to make quick and easy money without compromising their dignity, if they just put their minds to it. In fact—”

“It’s no big deal, Marisol,” Hope smiled sweetly. “There’s no need to justify yourself.”

“I think it’s brave,” Priya announced.

Bobby studied Marisol, stroking his chin. “Y’know, I thought there was something familiar about you.”

“Bobby!” She gasped, her face turning beet red.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” He laughed, clutching his stomach. “Oh man, these secrets are even better than the ones we learned during the kissing challenge!”

“I wonder what we’re going to learn about you,” I laughed.

“Bring it!”

Gary went down the slide as Marisol picked up the next envelope. “I never did mind getting my hands dirty. Knowledge is the real prize,” she said as she opened it. “The most adventurous thing Rahim has used in the bedroom is whipped cream.”

Rahim shrugged. “I like whipped cream, okay?”

Bobby stepped up to the table and picked up the top envelope. He grinned at me as he held it up with a flourish, revealing my name on the front.

“So have we pretty much given up on the whole washing up part?” I asked, rubbing the back of my neck.

“Ha! Getting to know each other is so much more fun, don’t you think?” He winked.

I shrugged. “Up to you. I’m not too worried.”

“Well sheesh, now I’m not as excited to see what’s in here.” He slid his finger under the flap of the envelope, raising his eyebrows as he read it, then giving me a curious look. “On a night out, Josie locked lips with a prominent member of the royal family – and then rejected him when he wanted to take things further.”

There were gasps from the other islanders, especially the girls.

“Who?”

“When was this?”

“Oh my god!”

“Details. Now!”

“Whoa, okay!” I put my hands up, laughing. “I’ll tell you! I think I was 20 at the time, I went to Mahiki in London for a friend’s birthday. He introduced himself as Rob, but I knew he was Prince Harry—” more gasps, and a high-pitched squeal from Chelsea “—and we danced for a bit. He kissed me on the dancefloor, but when he started to get all handsy I blew him off.”

“But  _ why? _ ” Priya shook her head in consternation. “Prince Harry!”

I shrugged. “The kiss wasn’t all that great, to be honest, and I’m not the type of girl to sleep with a guy just because of who his family is.”

“I respect that,” Noah said. “I think Bobby’s earned himself a mudding.”

“You say that as if it’s a bad thing,” Bobby grinned as he strode towards the ladder. He paused at the top, savouring the moment. “Man, I wish I had one of these when I was a kid.” He pushed himself down the slide, letting out a gleeful whoop before hitting the mud. He sat there for a moment, lifting his hands and watching the mud run through his fingers.

“Oh my god, he really is still a kid,” Marisol rolled her eyes.

“Hey! I resemble that remark!” He laughed, finally standing up and getting out of the pool, wiggling his fingers towards her as she jumped back to avoid him.

Priya stepped forward and picked up the next envelope, tearing it open. “Jakub takes personal grooming seriously, which began when he got a job as a naked butler – and his mother started shaving his bum for him.”

Everyone turned to stare at Jakub, who stood with his arms crossed and a stoic expression on his face.

“What? I could hardly go around to the hen parties with a hairy ass.”

“Mate, your mum?” Gary asked, dumbfounded.

He shrugged. “She changed my diapers when I was a baby, too. What of it?”

Priya took her turn going down the slide. “That was fun! It’s been ages since I went down a slide. Might have to go down to the local playground when we get back home.”

“I’m sure the dads won’t complain,” Bobby grinned, shooting her a playful wink.

Jakub walked up to the table next and picked up the top envelope gingerly. “Chelsea.”

“Ooh, finally!” She clapped her hands, bouncing on her toes. “Read it out, read it out, read it out!”

He hesitated, before putting the secret back down. “Yeah, no. I’m not getting thrown in there.”

“What?” she pouted.

“Alright, hand it over,” Bobby held out his hand, and Chelsea ran over to pick up the discarded envelope, giggling as she handed it to him. He tore it open. “Chelsea once signed off an email to an important customer with a smiley face… only it was a big old 8=D.”

She covered her face with her hands and squealed.

“Did you get in trouble?” I asked.

“Why would I?”

“Well, surely it damaged your reputation?”

“Not at all! After that he just kept coming back for more work, so if anything I think this just makes me, like, a better interior decorator. OMG! That could be like my brand! Everyone likes a smiley. Especially a smiley with a nose!”

Hope leaned over to me and whispered, “I don’t think anyone’s told her yet…”

_ Clearly not. Where did they find this girl? _

“Your turn in the mud, Bobby!” Chelsea giggled.

Lottie picked up the next envelope, hesitating as she stared at it, then glancing at the mud pit with a grimace.

“Just open it, Lozza, or I’m tossing you in the mud anyway!” Bobby threatened.

Finally, she opened it, clearing her throat. “The villa isn’t the first place Henrik has shared his recipe for homemade muscle ointment – He once posed nude for Climber Magazine, and the recipe was featured alongside the photos.”

“Ooh, saucy!” Priya laughed.

Henrik blushed. “I was covered where it mattered…”

“Too bad,” I winked. “I might need to track down a copy of that issue.”

Rahim was next, and drew Hope’s card. “During one wild night out on the town, Hope had sex with one guy in a bathroom, only to take a different guy home.”

“Hope!” Lottie gasped. “I’m shocked!”

Hope covered her hands with her face. “It was a long time ago! Back in uni…”

Finally it was my turn, and I stepped forward to pick up the envelope, glancing up at Bobby with a smirk when I saw that it had his name on it.

_ Oh yeah, there’s no way I’m leaving this one unopened. _

He grinned, rubbing his hands together. “I can’t wait to hear what it says! I wonder if it’ll be about the time I—"

“Bobby!” I cut him off, waving the envelope. “Just let me read it!”

He covered his mouth with his hand, eyes wide.

I rolled my eyes at him, then ripped open the envelope and laughed. “Bobby’s apparently not shy about his body, having gone streaking multiple times – and getting arrested for it once.”

“Streaking, huh?” I glanced over his body, playfully biting my lip. “I wouldn’t mind seeing that.”

He blushed – hard. “That can be arranged…”

“I wouldn’t mind seeing any of the guys here doing that, to be honest,” Priya laughed, glancing over at the dirt-streaked boys. “Especially covered in mud!”

“Get down that slide, Josie!” Henrik grinned. “I think you’ll look good in the mud.”

“I’m already muddy, thanks to you!” I climbed the ladder without hesitation, pushing myself quickly down the slide and landing in the warm mud with a splash. It was as gross as expected, the mud clinging to my skin as I stepped out.

Noah was the final boy to go, picking up the last card in the girls’ pile. “Priya was estranged from her family for two years after agreeing to an arranged marriage – and then backing out just days before the wedding date.”

“No way!”

“You almost got  _ married? _ ” Marisol gasped. “I did not see that one coming!”

Priya reddened, shuffling her feet. “I was young. I just couldn’t go through with it without giving myself a chance to find myself first.”

I reached out to grab her hand, giving it a squeeze, which she returned with an appreciative smile, as Noah made his way up the ladder and into the pool below.

“Ooh, it’s finally my turn!” Chelsea squealed, running over to pick up the last envelope and tearing it open. “Gary might have gotten away with having sex with a girl in one of the cranes at work if he hadn’t accidentally pushed a lever, catching his boss’s attention.”

Gary grinned. “Cranes and sex, two of my favourite things.”

“And getting caught?” Bobby elbowed him.

“Nah, why, is that something you’re into?” Gary playfully shoved him back, and the two of them began wrestling, shuffling around the challenge stage.

“Watch out!”

As Bobby stepped backwards, his foot slipped on the edge of the pool, the momentum carrying his body backwards. He tumbled over the edge, never losing his grip on Gary as they both landed, their combined force creating a cannonball effect, mud splattering everywhere.

“Eek!” Chelsea cried, looking down at the splotches covering her body. “Does this mean I don’t need to go down the slide now?”

The boys continued their wrestling in the mud, each trying to completely submerge the other until they were both completely covered, as the rest of us watched, dodging the occasional splashes that flew towards us.

_ DING! _

Their heads finally popped up at the sound of someone’s phone.

“Text?” Bobby asked expectantly.

Jakub, somehow the only one who still remained pristinely clean, pulled his phone out of his shorts. “’Jakub, you are the only islander to resist temptation. As the winner of today’s challenge you may invite a girl of your choice to spend the night with you in the Hideaway. #DoNotDisturb #OneMoreChanceToGetDirty’ Sick!”

“Oh my god!” Chelsea exclaimed. “The hideaway, already! Who are you going to pick? Are you going to pick me?”

Jakub looked around at the girls, appraising each of us. “The girl I’d like to invite… is Hope!”

_ Oh my god! _

Her jaw dropped as her hand fluttered to her chest. “Wait, me? The hideaway? But—” She turned to appeal to Noah, expecting him to tell Jakub off.

Noah just stood there, dumbfounded.

“Noah? Babe? Aren’t you going to say something?” she implored.

“Oh! Um,” he mumbled, “I trust you, babe, if you want to get to know him.”

She stared at him in shock. “Are you serious? That’s all you have to say? We’ve been together all this time and you’re just going to let another guy come in and graft me, and ask me to spend a night with him?”

His eyes briefly roamed to where Priya was standing, then quickly back to Hope, but the movement wasn’t lost on her.

“What are you looking at  _ her _ for?” she snapped, crossing her arms.

Priya laughed softly.

“Priya, don’t,” Noah pleaded, but she shook her head.

“I know this isn’t how you wanted this to happen, but it’s too late now, isn’t it?” She replied. “It’s time to get it out in the open, Noah.”

“What is she talking about?” Hope looked back and forth between them. “Noah? What is she saying?”

Noah sighed, placing a hand on Hope’s arm. “Look, can we talk privately?” He waved his other arm around, indicating the rest of us standing there, watching what was going on in front of us.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Fine, but this had better be good.”

They turned and walked off the challenge stage, Noah’s hand on her upper back as he led her back towards the villa in silence.

“That wasn’t homebrew, was it,” Jakub said, watching them leave.

Bobby shook his head. “Nope.”

The rest of us quickly rubbed the mud off us using the sponges and soapy water from the other pool, the mood dampened.

“Ugh, this is almost as bad as the mud,” I groaned, the soap feeling sticky against my skin without the benefit of clean rinsing water. “Race you guys to the showers!”

*********

Hope’s voice could be heard throughout the villa as she yelled at Noah, while the rest of us got ready for the evening.

“What’s going on between them, I wonder?” Marisol said. She turned to Priya. “You seemed to know something.”

Priya sighed. “We were going to wait a bit longer, to see if Jakub could turn her head, but… Noah and I like each other.”

“What?!” Lottie dropped her eyeliner mid-application. “You’re stealing her man? How could you?!”

Priya rolled her eyes. “It’s not stealing him if it’s his choice. He gave it a shot with her, and now he thinks he could be happier with me.”

“He said from the very start that he wanted to get to know both of you,” I jumped in. “It’s not his fault Hope barely left him any opportunity to crack on with anyone else.”

“Exactly!” she gave me a relieved smile.

“Besides, they’ve been together less than two weeks and are already fighting all the time. Did you know he cut up a toastie they made together and she freaked out?”

“He cut up a toastie?” Marisol asked curiously.

“Yeah, into little pieces, apparently.”

“That’s interesting. He helped raise his younger siblings, right? Perhaps he’s so used to doing it for them that he does it automatically. Or maybe it’s something from his own childhood…” she trailed off, tapping her mascara tube against her chin.

“Are we just going to ignore the fact that Priya got in between them,  _ again? _ ” Lottie scowled.

I rolled my eyes. “He’s allowed to like who he chooses, Lottie. I spoke to him the other day, he told me himself that he wanted to pick Priya.”

“Wait, what?” Priya set down her makeup brush, staring at me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

I sighed. “There’s more to the story, and I promised him I would let him talk to you first. And then the party happened and I promised Bobby I wouldn’t get involved, so I’ve been staying out of other people’s business ever since.”

Chelsea gasped. “Wait! Does that mean, like, you went ahead with your plan? From the beach hut?”

“No!” I glared at her. “There was never a plan, and I didn’t do anything!”

“You never did tell us what you said,” Marisol looked at me. “Care to share?”

“It’s not important, and Chelsea, you promised you wouldn’t say anything else.”

Chelsea’s eyes widened as she covered her mouth with her hands. “Oh no, I pinky swore! I’m so sorry!”

Marisol crossed her arms, eying me suspiciously. “If it’s not important, then why would Chelsea need to pinky swear?”

“It’s not important, because I said I was going to do something, and then I changed my mind. Therefore, nobody needs to know.”

Her eyes narrowed. “And this had something to do with Noah and Priya? And Hope, I’m assuming?”

“Just drop it, Mar.”

“Oh my god,” she said, her eyes widening. “You plotted to break them up, didn’t you? Let me guess, as revenge for Hope voting to dump Lucas?”

“She did!” Chelsea exclaimed. “She called it ‘Operation Nope!’ Oh my god, you figured it out!”

_ Fuck… _

“Look, can we not do this? I didn’t do anything, nor am I planning to. Clearly, their relationship fell apart without any help from me.” I stood, turning to Priya. “Priya, I’m sorry for not telling you, but I think it was better coming from him. I’m going downstairs, if you care to join me.”

“Sure,” she smiled over the vanity mirror. “You go down, I’ll be there in a second.”

I could hear Lottie and Marisol whispering to each other as I walked out, making my way to the kitchen.

_ Whatever. Let them gossip. It’s not like I have anything left to lose at this point. _

In the kitchen, I rummaged through the fridge, looking for a drink.

_ Beer. Prosecco. Same old. Why can’t they give us some real alcohol? _

I closed the fridge and entered the pantry.

_ Bombay Mix. Crisps. Same old. God, we’ve been here less than two weeks and I’m already bored to death of this stuff. _

“Hey, are there any salt and vinegar crisps?”

I jumped at the sudden interruption to my thoughts, turning to see Priya leaning on the door expectantly.

“Oh, yeah, here,” I grabbed a bag and tossed it to her.

“Thanks,” she smiled, and I followed her out of the pantry as she opened the bag. She leaned against the counter, biting on a crisp before sliding the bag towards me. “So you and Noah talked about me, huh?”

I smirked. “Your name might have come up during conversation.”

She rolled her eyes. “Good things only, I hope.”

“Nah, I was talking shit about you,” I joked. “It was interesting, though. Did he tell you why he picked Hope instead of you?”

“Yeah… I can’t say I was all that impressed at first, but at least I know that he’s liked me all along, you know?” Priya paused, mulling over her next words. “Maybe it’s a good thing he at least gave things a chance with Hope – it gives him some clarity on what he actually wants.”

“Honestly, I think you deserve better than someone that would do what he did, but if you like him, I’ll support you.”

“I do like him, and now that it’s out there that he likes me back, I think it’s only fair to give it a shot. I don’t think he handled the situation well, but I’m not going to break up a couple just to change my mind once I’ve got what I wanted, you know?”

“I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“Thanks,” she smiled, reaching over to give me a hug. “I’m so glad I met you.”

“Me too,” I wrapped my arms around her, giving her a tight squeeze that caused her to giggle.

As we pulled away from each other, the villa door swung open and Hope stormed out, Noah following closely behind her.

“There you are!” she said, eyeing Priya. “We need to talk.”

Priya tilted her chin up defiantly. “I’m not sure we do.”

“Excuse me?!”

I cleared my throat. “I’m just going to give you guys some space, okay?” 

Without waiting for a response, I crossed the lawn to the daybeds as Hope began another tirade. I dropped onto one of the beds, closing my eyes and pulling a pillow over my ear in an attempt to drown out the shouting.

A few minutes later someone sank onto the mattress, and I smiled as I felt a hand caress my back, coming to rest on my hip. I opened my eyes to see Henrik’s green ones staring lazily back at me.

“What’s going on in the kitchen?” he asked.

“Oh, you know. Hope seems to think it’s Priya’s fault that Noah doesn’t like her as much as she likes him.”

He chuckled softly, taking his hand off my hip to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “Do you think she’ll take Jakub up on his offer to go into the hideaway?”

“After the big scene she’s making about Noah? I doubt it, but it would be pretty funny if she did.” I reached out to caress the stubble on his cheeks, rubbing my thumb over his bottom lip. “It’s too bad we didn’t win the challenge.”

He grinned. “And miss out on a mud bath? Nah. I’m sure we’ll get our chance someday.”

“I hope so,” I smiled back.

The voices in the kitchen became louder, other islanders having joined in to try to calm Hope down.

Henrik looked over his shoulder at them, then back at me. “What do you say we go find somewhere private? Somewhere where we can’t hear,” he pointed his thumb behind him, “that.”

“Good idea. The living room?”

He hesitated, a smile playing on his lips. “I was thinking maybe somewhere that didn’t have cameras…”

I smirked. “Don’t you think we’ll be missed?”

“I think everyone’s distracted.”

“Then what are we waiting for?”

He grabbed my hand as he rocketed off the bed, pulling me behind him.

“Wait, don’t draw attention,” I whispered, holding back a giggle.

We approached the kitchen, acting nonchalant and feigning a mundane discussion as we passed the group still standing there squabbling. Finally we reached the villa door, and as soon as we were both inside the bedroom Henrik closed the door and pulled me into his arms, one hand on the back of my head as he pressed his mouth against mine.

“Follow me,” he whispered, and I nodded.

We raced up the stairs and down the hall to the bathroom, closing the door behind us. I turned to face him, biting my lip as I looked him over. He wore a black dress shirt with the top buttons undone along with black skinny jeans, his hair pulled up into a bun. My body was already reacting, pulse quickening as he moved towards me decisively, and I backed up slowly until he had me pinned against the wall. He exhaled as he pressed his body against mine, hands gripping my waist as his lips brushed against my neck, eliciting a small sigh out of me. My head tilted back as he lay open-mouth kisses across my throat and down my décolletage until he reached the fabric of my dress.

“I want to see you,” he groaned, his hands moving upwards along my sides, his thumbs coming to rest just below the swell of my breasts.

“You said no cameras,” I teased, snaking my hands under his shirt, letting my fingers rake up and down his back.

A low growl emanated from his chest as he kissed his way back up towards my mouth. He covered my mouth with his, kissing me deeply, and my lips parted obediently, letting him in.

“How about the shower?” he breathed, not giving me a chance to respond before his lips were on mine again. He caught my lower lip between his teeth, dragging it back slightly as I moaned, desire coursing through me.

I put my hands on his chest and pushed back slightly, breaking the kiss. “The shower will work.”

I stepped over to the shower and turned to face him, holding his gaze as I reached behind me and slid the zipper down the back of my dress. I slowly slid the straps off my shoulders, watching his eyes rake over me as I let the dress fall to the floor.

“Fuck,” his voice lowered as he took in the sight of my naked breasts, nipples firmly standing at attention, craving his touch.

I hooked my thumbs into the waistband of my panties, pushing down and letting them drop. Stepping out of them, I opened the shower door, looking back at Henrik, who still stood there gawking, his chest rising and falling heavily.

“What are you waiting for?” I smirked, and he sprang into action, pulling his shirt over his head and scrambling to unbuckle his belt. I grabbed a towel off the shelf and folded it over the glass of the shower, affording us a little extra privacy.

Henrik followed me into the shower, and immediately his hands were on me, exploring every curve of my body, making my skin tingle with desire. I put a hand on the back of his neck and pulled his head down, kissing him fervently. As my tongue frantically explored his mouth I reached down with my other hand, wrapping my fingers around his dick and stroking it as he moaned softly into my mouth.

“Jag vill knulla dig,” he murmured.

My eyes opened as I looked up at him, an amused smile playing at my lips. “Sorry, babe, I don’t speak Swedish.”

“One sec,” he said, opening the shower door and stepping out, returning a few seconds later with a foil packet. He tore it open and rolled the condom over his impressive girth.

He returned his hands to my body, lifting my leg and hooking it over his hip, positioning himself at my entrance.

“I said I wanna fuck you.” He entered me slowly, giving me time to adjust to his size.

I put my arms over his shoulders, bringing my lips to his ear to whisper huskily.

“Don’t hold back.”

I gasped as he pressed me up against the wall, the cold tiles a sharp contrast against the heat of my skin. He lifted my other leg, hoisting me up around his waist as I wrapped my legs around him. He began pumping into me, picking up his pace. My fingernails dug into his back and my head tilted forward over his shoulder as I lost myself in the rhythm, pleasure building deep inside me, drawing fast, hitched breaths mixed with moans out of me.

A distinctive  _ click _ brought me back to my senses, and a sudden thrill of adrenaline flashed through my body.

“Wait, what was that?” I whispered. Henrik didn’t respond, just buried his face deeper in my neck, pressing hot sloppy kisses as he continued pumping into me.

I began to believe I had imagined it, until an even more distinct sound reached my ears – the flush of a toilet. The toilet was in its own private room, but it was still part of the communal bathroom – and someone was definitely in it.

“Shit! Henrik, stop!” I whispered, tapping my hand on his shoulder. “Someone’s in the loo!”

_ Oh, god. Our clothes are on the floor! There’s no way they won’t notice! _

Henrik’s only response was to hike me further up the wall, giving him a better angle to drive himself deeper into me, almost driving me insane with the feeling of complete fullness. He picked up his pace, and my head lolled back as I let out a desperate moan…

… just as the toilet door opened.

I was mortified, adrenaline running through my veins as his dick thrust so deep a jolt of electricity ran through my body, sending me over the edge. I came hard, biting my lip to muffle my groans, and collapsed against Henrik as his throbbing cock continued sending shockwaves through me.

Whoever was out there finished washing their hands and finally left the room, the bathroom door clicking shut behind them.

Henrik dug his fingers into my thighs and his cock pulsed as he finally came in me, his body pressing mine up against the tiles as he rode out his high and I let my hands stroke his arms softly, guiding him back to reality. Finally he released me and I wobbled slightly as my feet returned to the ground, holding onto him for balance.

“You little fucker,” I laughed. “Don’t tell me you got off on that.”

He gave me a cheeky grin. “I don’t think I was the only one.”

He kissed me one more time, slowly and deeply, then opened the shower door. We quickly sorted ourselves, pulling our clothing back on and trying to make ourselves look like we hadn’t just had steamy shower sex.

“Ready?” he asked, holding out his hand.

I took it with a smile, and let him lead me back downstairs and outside. We bypassed the kitchen and started across the lawn.

“Josie!”

A shout from behind us caused me to stop, and I turned around to see Hope’s angry expression as she stalked towards us.

_ She knows. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos if you like it, comment if you really like it, and subscribe if you really, really like it! 😂💕


	22. Master Baker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY I've got some good news and some bad news. 
> 
> The bad news is, updates might be a little slower/less regular from here on out, because I got really busy with work for a few weeks and wasn't able to write as much, plus I took a short break afterwards because I wasn't ready to tackle Casa Amor yet. Now I'm out of pre-written chapters, so I'll be writing as I go. I'll do my best to keep up with a once-per-week posting schedule, but I can't make any promises.
> 
> The good news is... I've been working on something else. While taking a break from W&S, I started writing something that I've been thinking about for over a month, and I'm finally ready to share it! So, keep your eyes peeled for something new from me in the next few days. I am ~so~ excited for you all to read it!
> 
> BUT FIRST, enjoy this chapter. Special thanks to Kat for the smut help again! 💕

Henrik gripped my hand in his as we walked outside to rejoin the others after our shower tryst. He was leading me across the lawn when someone called my name from the direction of the kitchen, and I turned around to see Hope’s angry expression as she stalked towards us.

_ She knows. _

“Finally came out of hiding, did you?” she glared, hands on her hips.

“What are you talking about?” I asked. “Henrik and I just needed some alone time.”

“Oh sure,” she scoffed, “as if that’s not just an excuse for avoiding me.”

“It was my idea,” Henrik jumped in. “You were screaming pretty loud earlier, so—”

“Marisol and Lottie told me what you said.” She cut him off, narrowing her eyes at me as she crossed her arms. “In the Beach Hut? About trying to break up me and Noah?”

Henrik gave me a curious look. He hadn’t brought it up since Chelsea blabbed about it during the party, and I had been happy enough just to let him forget about it.

_ Here we go… _

Hope’s face softened and moisture glistened in her eyes. “I came in here to find love, and I might have finally found it. Couldn’t you just let me be happy?”

_ Cry those crocodile tears all you want, bitch. _

I laughed and shook my head in disbelief. “Like you couldn’t let  _ me _ be happy with Lucas? You just couldn’t have that, could you? No, you wanted him for yourself, but when you couldn’t have him, you voted for him to get dumped, just so that he and I wouldn’t be competition for you.”

She reddened. “That’s not true!”

Henrik looked back and forth between us, eyes wide.

“The look on your face tells me it is,” I retorted. “And it’s a pretty sad game you’re playing, hun.”

“I’m not playing a game! I’m here to find love!”

“That’s not what the public seem to think, and who knows what they’ve seen.”

“Well what about  _ you? _ ” she deflected, stepping closer and wagging a finger in my face. “What kind of game are  _ you _ playing, plotting to break couples up?”

“Really? Are you serious? Do you think I would have done half the things I’ve done in here, and admitted in the Beach Hut of all places that I wanted to break you up, if I was trying to win the money? Heck, I’ll probably be the next one voted out, and at this point it would almost be a relief!”

She opened her mouth and closed it again, momentarily speechless.

“Are we done here now?” I asked, moving closer to Henrik as he looped his arm around my waist.

“No! You interfered with my couple, and I demand an apology!”

I snorted. “I didn’t even do anything. I talked about it in the Beach Hut, that’s all.”

“You expect me to believe that you didn’t have any hand in Noah suddenly thinking he’s into Priya?”

“Suddenly?” I laughed. “His eyes have been all over her since day one, and you’ve done everything in your power to keep him under your thumb so that he wouldn’t be able to act on it. Face it, your relationship fell apart on its own. I didn’t have to do a thing.”

“You gave them advice, didn’t you?”

“They already liked each other. All I did was encourage them to fucking talk to each other.”

“You know what, Josie? This friendship is over!”

“Good! Now I don’t have to listen to you whine about stuff like your fucking hoodie string like a goddamn child.”

She gasped and was about to respond when a scream cut through the air, throwing her off.

“What was that?” I asked, grateful for the distraction.

Hope turned her head towards the direction of the sound. “Is someone hurt?”

“No, I think that’s just Chelsea,” Henrik said.

“OMG you guys, Rahim got a text!”

Hope gave me one final glare before hurrying over to the group of islanders by the firepit to listen to the text, Henrik and I following at a slower pace.

“Are you okay?” he asked, threading his fingers through mine. “That was a lot to take in.”

“I’m fine,” I said. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the Beach Hut thing, I didn’t expect it to blow up in my face again.”

We reached the firepit, relieving him of the need to respond.

“Is everyone here?” Chelsea looked around, satisfied that everyone was present. “This changes everything! Like,  _ everything _ everything. Get a load of this!” She looked down at the phone she had apparently taken away from Rahim, and read: “’Islanders, tomorrow there will be a recoupling. The boys will be choosing. #pickwisely #shakeitup’”

“Oh my gosh!” Hope gasped, eyes darting around at the others before finally resting on Noah, who was looking at Priya. Her face hardened, and she turned to Jakub with determination in her eyes. “Is that Hideaway invitation still open?”

*********

I shielded my eyes from the bright morning sun as I walked across the lawn towards the beanbags where Henrik was already sitting with some of the other guys. I sank into the beanbag next to him, and he handed me one of two cups of tea in his hands.

“Thanks, babe,” I said, leaning over for a quick kiss, then shifted my butt to get the beanbag into the position I wanted. I took a sip of the tea, pleased to find it just the way I liked it.

“Alright, Josie?” Rahim asked.

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Oh, you know,” Gary replied, “just chatting about the world and everything in it. Like about trees and mountains and stuff. You know. Seasons. People. The future.”

“Sounds deep.”

“And the recoupling,” Henrik added.

_ Of course. _

“Yeah, the recoupling,” Gary nodded slowly. “We were chatting about that quite a bit.”

“On recoupling day, all anyone ever wants to talk about is the recoupling,” Noah said.

“I think you know who I want to pick tonight,” Henrik grinned, taking my hand and stroking the skin gently with his thumb.

“Oh? Is it someone I know?” I teased.

He looked thoughtful for a moment, staring up at the sky. “On second thought, I’m really not sure if you’ve met her.”

“Hm, too bad. If you see her, point her out and I’ll tell her to stay the hell away from my man.”

“Oh, hi boys!” a bubbly voice sounded from out of nowhere it seemed, as Chelsea dropped onto the remaining beanbag. “Talking about me?”

_ Erm… no… _

“Just talking about the recoupling tonight,” Henrik said kindly. “We were talking about how—”

“Wow, that’s so interesting! Tell me everything. What’s the goss? Who’s picking who?” She was practically bouncing in her seat.

_ The energy in this one. How does she do it? _

“Who are you picking, Noah? Are you going to pick me?”

“Actually, I—”

“I think you might pick Priya!”

“That’s the pl—”

“OMG, you guys will make such a good couple. She’s so fun, I love her!” Chelsea beamed. “Henrik, who are you going to pick?”

“I’m going to pick someone I feel a real connection with,” he replied, squeezing my hand. “Who could that be? You figure it out.”

“Ooh, mysterious! I like it. What about you, Gary?”

Gary blushed, looking at his feet. “Oh, I—I haven’t really decided yet, to be honest.”

“Same,” Rahim said, before Chelsea could put him on the spot.

“Oh, you guys should pick me!”

Gary grinned as he looked back up at her. “Yeah? Both of us?”

“Sure! Why not? Wouldn’t that be fun?” She gave me a nudge. “Josie, all the boys want to pick me! Can you believe it?”

_ Be nice, be nice, be nice. _

I gave her a fake smile to keep from rolling my eyes. “It’s hard to believe one girl could be so popular.”

“I know! I’m having a really good time.”

“I can tell.”

“So what are we doing today?” she asked, head jerking back and forth as she looked around at us.

“Well,” Gary said, “we typically just sit around all day waiting to see if someone’s going to get a text.”

“It feels like a challenge day,” Henrik said. “We do challenges most days.”

“Oh, I can’t wait!” Chelsea bubbled. “Do you think it’ll be one of those food challenges where the couples have to pass the ingredients to their partner using only their mouths?”

“Ugh, please let’s not talk about that again,” Rahim groaned.

“Last time we had a recoupling, we got to go on dates. Maybe we’ll do that again?” I suggested.

“Oooh, I want to go on a date!”

“I like that idea,” Henrik grinned at me, and I winked back at him. “We didn’t get to go on a date last time.”

“Nah, it’ll probably be a challenge,” Noah said.

I drank up the rest of my tea, then reached for Henrik’s empty mug. “I’m gonna go wash these up.”

“Amazing. Thanks, babe.”

I made my way to the kitchen and washed the mugs, along with a few other dirty dishes that had been left in the sink. As I was drying the last of the utensils, Lottie wandered in. She opened the fridge and closed it almost immediately, awkwardly standing in front of it.

“Hey, Josie?”

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “Lottie.”

“Um. I think we need to have a chat.”

I studied her face, and for once there was no hostility in her eyes, only resignation and uncertainty.

_ Bobby said he would talk to her. Is she finally ready to accept my apology? _

“Okay, fine,” I put the utensils away in the drawer and looked up at her. “Where do you want to go?”

“I was thinking the daybeds?” she bit her lip nervously. “Maybe we won’t end up yelling at each other for once if we’re in an open space surrounded by people.”

_ That hasn’t really stopped us before, but alright. _

“Okay. Sounds like a good idea.”

I followed her to the daybed and sat stiffly on the end of the bed, while she propped herself up among the pillows. I gave her a curious look as I waited for her to speak.

Finally she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “So, I had a chat with Bobby. And I want to put this whole thing between us to bed. Appropriate location,” She waved her hand with a smirk. “Anyway, it’s been going on for almost a week already, and it’s affecting the whole villa.”

“I agree. We were friends… I never meant to hurt you, and I’m sorry that I did.”

“Thank you,” she nodded. “I… I think I understand where you were coming from, and I’m sorry for throwing your apology back in your face last time. To be honest, I think if I were in your shoes I probably would have done the same thing. I know I talk a big game when it comes to girl code, but I have my reasons.” 

She paused, and I waited patiently for her to continue. “The thing is… I usually have a hard time getting along with girls – they don’t seem to like me. So when something like that happens, I have a tendency to take it personally. And then with everything that’s happened in the villa… well, I haven’t had an easy time here. It was really hard seeing all the guys be interested in you, but none of them liked me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, first there was Rocco. I knew he wasn’t the type to like being tied down, but it really hurt that he wasn’t even willing to put in any effort with me. Instead he jumped ship right away and picked you, even though you didn’t even give him any encouragement,” she rolled her eyes slightly, taking a moment to collect herself. “And then the whole time I was with Gary, deep down I knew he liked you more than me. He only picked me because he didn’t like Hannah, and I was the only other option. Finding out about the kiss just made things worse. I don’t blame you – not anymore. But it was even worse than Rocco picking you, because I saw it as a physical betrayal.”

“I understand,” I said softly. “I’m sorry.”

She nodded, acknowledging my apology, then continued. “And of course when Henrik and Lucas came in, obviously you and Lucas had a thing going on. As if Gary wasn’t enough for you, you had to have another guy after you. But that wasn’t even the worst of it,” she laughed softly, shaking her head. “I figured at least Henrik was new and available, and you weren’t interested. So I tried grafting him, and I actually really liked him. To be completely honest, I still like him. But his eyes were always on you. I knew he wouldn’t act on it as long as Lucas was here, but then suddenly Lucas was gone, and Marisol stole Gary from you…”

“And I picked Henrik. I’m so sorry, Lottie.”

“I know. It’s not your fault. It’s just been getting to me, that’s all. It was easy to take it all out on you when it seemed like you had everything going for you and I had nothing.”

“Everything going for me?” I wrinkled my nose in confusion. “You realize this place has felt like hell for me at times, right?”

“Yeah, I know. Bobby helped me see that. I guess I was so caught up in being jealous of you that I didn’t really see the toll it was taking on you.”

“And you were right about me having my head up my ass and not seeing what was going on around me.”

She laughed. “I guess we’ve both been pretty stupid, haven’t we?”

“Yeah, I guess we have. Can we be friends again?”

She looked at me intently, then finally nodded slowly. “I’d like that.”

I crawled over to her side of the bed and wrapped her in a hug, which she happily returned. I pulled back and sat next to her on the bed.

“So, now that we’re friends again, what have I missed the last few days?”

*********

I later found Bobby in the kitchen, pulling a tray of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven. I waited until he had set the tray down and closed the oven door, then came up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my head against his back.

He craned his neck to look behind him. “Josie?”

I loosened my grip on him so he could spin around to face me, the heat from his oven mitts warming my skin as he briefly returned my hug.

He smiled warmly as he pulled away, his mitted hands lingering a moment on my arms before he quickly lowered them. “What’s up?”

“You talked to Lottie.”

“I talk to her most days,” he said, his eyebrows scrunching together. “Every day, really. We are coupled up, after all.”

“No, I mean, you talked to her. About me.”

“Oh!” His eyes widened as he took the oven mitts off and set them aside before turning back to give me his full attention. “And?”

“I don’t know what you said to her, but we just had a really good conversation and made up.”

“That’s great!” A bright smile filled his face, his eyes lighting up. “I’m so happy to hear that.”

“Thank you, B,” I pulled him back into a hug, resting my head against his warm chest as he pulled me close. “It means a lot.”

“Anything in the quest for villa peace,” he said lightly.

“Oh?” I pulled back, looking up at his face. “Well if you want villa peace, you’re going to need to hand over those cookies that smell so delicious.”

“Is that a threat?” he gasped.

“Absolutely, and not an empty one, either. The cookie monster ain’t got nothing on me!”

He stepped in front of the cookies in a protective stance. “No! I’ll never let you take them!”

I held his gaze as I stepped closer, and his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.

“You can’t stop me, McKenzie.”

I waited, unblinking as we stared at each other in a silent standoff.

Bobby blinked, and immediately my hands shot out, tickling his sides as he yelped and doubled over. I reached out towards the cookies, only for him to slap my hand away as he recovered. He grabbed me, digging his fingers under my ribs and pulling me backwards.

“Nooo!” I stretched my arms out, but the tray was out of reach.

“Ugh, you guys are such children sometimes,” Hope scowled as she entered the kitchen and strode towards the water cooler.

“You’re just jealous,” Bobby winked as she rolled her eyes.

I felt his grip weaken and took advantage of his distraction, shooting out of his arms and sliding a cookie off the tray before he could recover.

“Ha! Another score for me!” I grinned, taking a bite.

“They haven’t even cooled down enough yet!” he groaned.

“Mmm. So good.”

He placed a hand on his stomach as he waved the other one in an exaggerated bow. “Thank you, thank you very much.”

_ DING! _

“Oh, that’s me!” Hope exclaimed. “GUYS, I’VE GOT A TEEEEXT!”

Everyone else quickly ran over.

“Woo!” Chelsea cheered. “Exciting! Love a bit of texty time.”

“What does it say, babe?” Jakub asked, his muscles popping as he leaned on the counter.

Henrik came in behind Jakub, giving me a wink. I winked back, taking a bite of my hard-earned cookie.

Hope looked around to ensure all the attention was on her before speaking. “So, the text says… Islanders, it’s time to put your skills to the test in the Master Bakers challenge.”

“Ooh! How exciting!” Chelsea interrupted. “Love a good cake making video. They’re so satisfying.”

Hope gave her a thinly disguised glare. “Um, hun… I wasn’t finished reading. Never interrupt texty time, girl.”

Chelsea’s eyes widened as she put a hand over her mouth. “Right… sorry, my bad!”

“’Islanders, it’s time to grab a slice of the action as you take on the next couples’ challenge Master Bakers. #makeorbake #pieceofcake’”

“Yes!” Bobby threw his head back and pumped both fists in the air. “This challenge was made for me, guys!”

“I thought the mud challenge was made for you,” I laughed. “And the slime challenge, come to think of it.”

“This place is almost as good as summer camp,” he grinned. “But c’mon, cake decorating? I’m a pastry chef, this is my jam!”

“Oh my god, Bobby.”

Henrik came over to where I was standing, putting his arm around my waist. “This sounds like a right laugh! I bet it’ll have some kind of sexy twist.”

“Sexy cake decorating? Now that does sound fun.”

We made our way over to the challenge stage, where there were two rows of tables set up. On one side were the plain cakes ready to be decorated, and on the other side were the supplies.

“Islanders, welcome to Master Bakers,” Jakub said, standing off to the side. “Chelsea and I will be your judges today.”

“As you can see, the cakes are on one side, the decorations are on the other,” Chelsea grinned, indicating each side of the stage. “The boys will be blindfolded and stand behind their girls, while the girls will have to hold their hands behind their boys’ backs. You’ll have to work together to bring the decorations over to the cakes, and then the boys will have to reach around their girls to decorate the cake while the girls give directions.”

“There’s your sexy twist, Henrik,” I smirked. “My ass is going to be right up against you.”

“This challenge is going to be torture,” he groaned.

Chelsea continued with the instructions. “You have until the buzzer goes to create your masterpieces. Then Jakub and I will choose the winners.”

Everyone put on aprons, and the boys blindfolded themselves. I tied my hair back and then stood in front of Henrik, reaching back behind him to clasp my hands together.

“My arms are too short!” Marisol laughed, trying to reach around Gary behind her.

“That’s okay, as long as you don’t use them to help,” Chelsea giggled.

“Man, I’m getting more action in challenges than in the bedroom,” Bobby laughed as he stood behind Lottie.

“Hey, you could do worse than being tied to a fit bird,” she smirked.

“Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Are you guys ready?” Jakub asked.

“Hell yes!” Gary cheered.

“Great!”

“Teamwork, people!” Chelsea encouraged. “On your marks! Get set!”

“Go!” Jakub finished for her.

“Aw, I wanted to say go!”

On the table in front of us was a bowl of whipping cream and a whisk, piping bags with different coloured icing, and an assortment of sliced fruit, candy, sprinkles, and melted chocolate.

“Okay Henrik, first you have to whip the whipped cream. There’s a bowl on your right, yeah, that’s it. Use the whisk and whip it up. Faster, faster, you’ve really gotta beat it good!”

Around us I could hear the other girls cheering the boys on.

_ “Faster, faster, faster, faster!” _

_ “Stop shaking your ass and whip!” _

_ “Good wrist action there – I know what you do in your spare time!” _

_ “Is it getting thicker?” _

Once I was satisfied with the whipped cream, we had to bring it over to our cake on the other side of the stage.

“Okay Henrik, let’s bring the bowl over to the cake. Let’s turn around,” I started turning, shuffling my feet around, trying not to step on his toes. “Don’t drop the bowl! Okay, now let’s walk forward to the other side. Careful!”

We awkwardly shuffled across the platform until we reached our cake.

“Whew, that’s tough to do tied together.”

“Try being blindfolded!” he laughed.

“Okay, now on the left side there’s a spatula – yup that’s it – use that to get the cream on the cake. Move your right hand forward and left a bit – perfect – now tip the bowl. Okay now you’ve got to smooth out the icing.”

He put the bowl down on the side, but before removing his hand he reached inside and grabbed a handful of whipped cream.

“Hungry?” he asked, bringing his hand up to my face, wiping cream all over my face and into my hair.

“Henrik! Don’t get it in my eyes! I still need to see, you know!”

_ “Spread it babes, that’s good, yeah that’s it. That’s going really well.” _

_ “Slather it around, that’s it. That’s it, pat it on!” _

_ “Bloody good, this.” _

_ “Yeah, just smooth it over so it feels good!” _

The cake was on a rotating cake tray, so I directed him to spin the tray as he smoothed out the icing on the top and sides of the cake, until it was fairly well covered.

“Okay Henrik that’s good, now we need to go back to get the decorations.”

We penguin-shuffled back to the other side. Henrik felt around on the table at my direction until he discovered the piping bags.

“Let’s go with the blue one,” I said.

“Which one’s blue? I can’t see!”

“The one on the right!” I laughed. “I feel like I’m playing one of those arcade games, you know with the claw thing that picks up the toys?”

“Yeah, I love those games!”

Again we turned to go back to the other side.

“Maybe you should just stand on my feet and I’ll walk for both of us,” Henrik suggested.

“Okay fine, let’s go. Keep going, keep going – stop!”

We got to our cake and now was the hard part – actually decorating it.

“Okay, move your right hand forward a bit – that’s good – and squeeze gently, while using your left hand to spin the tray so you can get the icing all the way around the edge of the cake. Yeah, that’s good, keep doing that.”

_ “You bastard, put it on your cake!” _

_ “Sorry Gaz, I thought it was the cake, mate.” _

I looked over to see a streak of yellow icing on Gary’s shoulder, Bobby laughing next to him. I shook my head, laughing at their antics. I noticed Chelsea giggling as well, her eyes on the pair of them as if she thought they were the funniest guys she’d ever seen.

_ “No! One little blob! They’re meant to be dots, not shits!” _

_ “Slowly. Slooowly.” _

_ “Noah!” “Did it come out?” “You’re fucking up the cake!” _

“Okay Hen that’s good, let’s go get some sprinkles and fruit to finish this off. It’s looking good.”

We crossed the platform again and picked up some strawberry slices and chocolate sprinkles, then headed back to the cake.

“Alright, let’s just put the strawberries around the edge. Yup, just like that. You’re doing so well, hun.”

_ “Swirl it, swirl it, swirl it!” _

_ “Mmmm, yum!” _

_ “Okay, just sprinkle them. Delicate.” _

“Now take the sprinkles. Up a bit and forward, perfect. Just give it a light dusting, gentle… good.”

_ “Left, left, back towards me. Forward, down. Yesss!” _

_ “Right, do a little squirt. Right, that really fucked it up, but that’s okay.” “Did it?” “It doesn’t matter, I’m happy with it.” _

Finally a buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the challenge.

“All done!” Chelsea clapped. “That looked like so much fun!”

“Please step away from the cakes,” Jakub said.

The boys took their blindfolds off and surveyed the results of their labour.

“Hey, ours actually looks pretty good, Josie!” Henrik grinned, raising his hand for me to high-five him. “Great directions.”

“Thanks, babe! You did good, I’m impressed.”

“I’d say we all rose to the occasion, wouldn’t you?” Bobby asked, looking around at the other guys with a smirk. “But I’m winning this thing for sure.”

I looked at his cake, which was carefully glazed with chocolate and strawberries. “That does look good, B.”

“You didn’t doubt me, did you? Blindfold or no blindfold, I know my way around a cake,” he grinned.

Jakub and Chelsea walked down the row, checking out each cake. Chelsea looked like she was taking it very seriously, while Jakub looked a bit bored. Once they had seen all the cakes, they huddled together at the side of the stage, Chelsea speaking animatedly and Jakub nodding along. Finally they turned to address us.

“Okay, we’ve made a decision,” Chelsea said.

“Yeah, it’s a tough one, guys,” Jakub nodded, “but the winner is…”

“Lottie and Bobby!” Chelsea beamed.

Bobby whooped and started running around the challenge stage, reaching around his back to quickly untie his apron and waving it over his head like a flag.

Lottie joined the rest of us in clapping for him, happy to let him have his moment.

“Who’s the best cake decorator Love Island has ever seen?” Bobby hollered, finishing a lap around the stage and holding out his hand for high-fives as he ran past us. As he reached the end of the group of islanders, he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his swimshorts and pushed downwards, letting them fall around his ankles.

“Oh my  _ god _ , Bobby!”

“He’s streaking!” Chelsea squealed, throwing her hands over her face.

The guys all doubled over in laughter, egging him on as the girls groaned and either turned away or covered their eyes. My body shook with laughter as I covered my face, peeking through the gaps in my fingers. His back was towards us, but I had to admit he had a pretty nice ass.

The shorts still around his ankles, Bobby lifted a foot to free himself, only for his foot to get caught in the fabric. He stumbled and tripped, falling on his hands and recovering into a commando roll. The recovery was short-lived, however, as he tumbled directly into the base of one of the cake tables. The table teetered with the force of the impact, and the cake began to slide.

It felt like we were watching in slow motion as the cake inched closer to the edge of the table, wobbling as the table began to right itself…

“Eek!”

“Watch out!”

Gravity won out, and the cake careened over the edge of the table, landing upside-down smack on Bobby’s face. We stood in silent shock as we came to the realization that the cake that had just fallen was his own.

Bobby lay there, naked, unmoving, and covered in chocolate, strawberries, and a crumbling cake. After a few long seconds, his shoulders began to quiver, and soon the sound of muffled laughter was heard. That was enough encouragement for the rest of us to burst into raucous laughter at the sight of him.

He sat up, wiping his face and shaking his head. “My poor masterpiece…”

Lottie picked up the discarded apron and threw it at him. “Put your clothes back on, bud.”

He grabbed the apron and used it to wipe his hands and face, then finally stood up and pulled his shorts back up. He glanced at us with a grin. “Hope you enjoyed the show, tune in next time for more fun times on The Great Bobby Baking Show!”

Gary clapped him on the shoulder. “Hate to break it to ya, mate, but after that performance I don’t think you’re ever going to be invited to a baking show.”

Bobby gasped in mock horror. “Now Gary, whatever could you mean?”

“C’mon, guys, let’s get going,” Lottie laughed. “My hands are sticky, I need a shower.”

“I’ve got icing everywhere,” Marisol agreed, looking down at herself. “Gary got it all over himself and then wiped it on me.”

“I’m well hungry,” Henrik said, taking my hand in his as we returned to the villa. “All that cake decorating has given me an appetite.”

“You should’ve just eaten the cake.”

“With all that icing and sprinkles you made me put on it?” He grimaced. “Nah, too sweet. I’m trying to watch my figure.”

“Fine, we can make toasties or something,” I laughed.

“Now you’re talking!”

*********

The dressing room was in an uproar as we got ready for the evening. Chelsea was a bundle of nerves and excitement, flitting about the room and disrupting everyone’s normal routines.

“Ooh, I love your hair tonight, Priya! Lottie, your makeup is so on point! Josie, that dress really brings out the colour of your eyes!”

“Has anyone seen my other shoe?” Gary popped his head in, holding up a single shoe.

“What would your shoe be doing in here?” Priya asked, looking around the room for the offending shoe.

“Bobby’s acting weird, I think he hid it again.”

Marisol rolled her eyes. “That boy, I swear…”

I threw a dirty look at her before turning to Gary with a smile. “Check the Beach Hut under the chair. He mentioned wanting to use that as a hiding spot. If not, maybe the gym?”

“The Beach H—that little prick! Thanks, Josie.”

“No problem, Gare.”

He left the room, and for a moment Chelsea was silent as she watched him leave, finger on her lips. “Who do you think the boys are picking tonight? It’s so exciting, there’s literally no way to know who’s picking who.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Well, things are going well with Henrik, so he’ll pick me. Noah will finally pick Priya, and Jakub took Hope to the Hideaway so he’ll probably pick her.”

Hope’s face darkened as she glared in my direction, but stayed silent as she furiously blended her eyeshadow.

“There could be some surprises,” Lottie said, brushing her fingers through her freshly curled hair. “If Noah picks Priya, then Rahim will have to pick someone new. And Bobby and I are strictly friends, so who knows what he’s thinking of doing.”

“There are a few moving parts, at least,” Marisol agreed. “Chelsea’s in the mix now as well. So we can probably expect some changes.”

“I can’t wait!” Chelsea jumped out of her seat to check out her reflection in one of the full-length mirrors. “My first recoupling. Finally!”

We finished getting ready and joined the boys outside, popping a champagne bottle in the kitchen and then dispersing into smaller groups around the lawn as we waited for the text announcing the recoupling.

Henrik and I were chatting with Noah and Priya on the beanbags when the text finally came. Noah looked down at his phone.

“That’s mine. TEXT! ‘Islanders, it’s time for tonight’s recoupling. Please gather around the firepit immediately. #rundontwalk #haveyourcakeandeatit’”

We got up and moved to the firepit, where the boys sat down on the bench while the girls stood in a row on the other side, holding each other’s hands. There was complete silence as we waited, the intensity growing with each passing moment as the producers kept us on our toes. All I could hear was the heavy  _ thump, thump _ of the heart beating in my chest as my nerves built up within me.

Henrik’s face lit up as his phone went off first, and he stood with a smile, locking his eyes with mine. I gave him an encouraging smile back as Priya squeezed my hand. 

_ Thank god he’s picking first and we don’t have to wait until the end. _

“This isn’t exactly a difficult decision,” he grinned. “This girl did me the honour of choosing me at the last recoupling, so I’m glad I get to return the favour. And the last few days with her have been so much fun, I’m looking forward to keeping that train rolling. So obviously, the girl I want to couple up with is Josie.”

I exhaled, not even realizing I had been holding my breath. I walked over with a giddy smile and threw my arms around him as he met me with a kiss, pulling me against him and lifting my feet off the ground.

“Sweeping me off my feet, huh?” I smirked as he set me down and we took our seats on the bench.

He laid an arm across my shoulders. “That’s the plan.”

Gary was the next to stand up, smiling broadly. “I’d like to couple up with this girl because she’s got a lot of energy, which both scares and fascinates me, and I’m really looking forward to getting to know her better. The girl I’d like to couple up with is Chelsea.”

_ Oh! Didn’t see that one coming. _

Chelsea squealed, fanning her face with her hands. “Me? You’re picking me? Oh my gosh, this is exactly what I wanted!” She bounded up to him and jumped into his arms, catching him off guard as he took a step backwards to keep his balance.

They sat down, and Noah stood next, taking a deep breath as he gazed across the firepit.

“I’d like to couple up with this girl, because since the moment she walked into the villa I haven’t been able to take my eyes off her. I almost screwed things up once, but I’m not going to waste this second chance to make things right. The girl I want to couple up with is Priya.”

_ Finally! _

She walked towards him and pulled him into a deep kiss as Hope glared daggers at them from the other side of the firepit.

Jakub got to his feet, clearing his throat. “Alright. I want to couple up with this girl because, well, she’s mad fit, and I think I see something in her that nobody else does. She’s a great laugh and I want to see where things could go with her. So the girl I want to couple up with is Hope.”

_ They deserve each other. _

Hope walked over to him, giving him a kiss on the cheek, before looking back to see if Noah was looking. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of him and Priya talking and giggling softly, not even paying attention to her. She sat down with a huff, crossing her arms and glaring into the fire pit.

Rahim stood, nervously wiping his brow. “Um, so… I’m not really sure, like, how this is going to go. But obviously things in the villa have been shaken up lately and I need to try something new. The girl I want to couple up with hasn’t had the easiest time in the villa so far, but she makes me laugh, and I want to try things out with her and see where they can go. So the girl I want to couple up with is Lottie.”

Lottie’s face brightened as she looked up in surprise. “Really? Babes! That’s so sweet of you!”

She stepped towards him and gave him a hug before sitting down.

Lastly, Bobby jumped to his feet. “Well, I can’t really say this is how I expected the evening to go, but it is what it is. Obviously this girl and I have already given this coupling thing a shot and it didn’t go so well the first time, but if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s being in a friendship couple. Let’s hope round two doesn’t end up with me being up for a public vote again, eh? The girl I’d like to couple up with is Marisol.”

_ Poor Bobby. _

Marisol glared at him with her arms crossed. “What the hell was that, Bobby?”

He shrugged, a glint in his eye. “Just a bit of banter, Mar. I know you don’t want to be with me, but I guess we don’t have much choice. Let’s just make the most of it.”

She rolled her eyes as she finally walked over and sat next to him. “Whatever, Bobby.”

I looked around at the other couples. “So wait, Henrik and I are the only couple that actually stayed together?”

“It’s ‘hashtag all change’ tonight,” Priya smiled, taking Noah’s hand in hers.

Hope glared at the two of them, then jumped to her feet. “C’mon,  _ babe, _ let’s go have a chat,” she directed at Jakub, and walked off towards the swing as he followed quickly behind.

The other new couples agreed, and Henrik led me to the daybeds as the others scattered around the villa.

I pulled back the duvet as we climbed into the bed, sitting up against the headboard. I spread the duvet over our legs as I settled into the crook of his arm, resting my head against his shoulder and my hand on his chest.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, kissing the top of my head.

“Hmm. A little disappointed, actually.”

“What?” he straightened, looking intently at me. “I thought you were happy.”

“I was kinda hoping Jakub would pick me.” I struggled to keep a straight face as he raised his eyebrows in shock before realization dawned on him and he laughed.

He relaxed, settling himself against the cushions as he pulled me closer to him. “Sorry to disappoint. I’m sure the two of you would’ve had lots to talk about.”

“Oh, I’m sure he has plenty to tell me about himself,” I smirked. “I was dying to hear more about his bodybuilding techniques and protein shakes.”

“And how everything has to be just right before he leaves the house.”

“Did you see his hype-up dance on the lawn?”

“Oh, yeah. Did you know he irons his socks?”

“He does what now?”

“Yup. And you know what else?” Henrik leaned in, bringing his mouth close to whisper in my ear. “He stuffs his underwear.”

I snorted, and we burst into a fit of giggles.

“Well I’m glad you don’t have that problem,” I laughed, leaning towards him to press my lips against his.

“You’re a lucky girl,” he smiled, weaving his fingers into my hair and pulling my head closer to kiss me again, deeper this time. He brushed his tongue against my lips, parting them demandingly.

My hand moved downward, my fingers lazily trailing down his chest, a hum sounding deep in his throat as our tongues moved hungrily against each other. As I traced my way down his abdomen his body shuddered and he smiled against my mouth.

“What’s so funny?” I asked as I pulled back.

“Sorry, it was just a bit sensitive around my…” he looked down to where my hand was hidden under the duvet, “you know…”

I raised an eyebrow. “Little Henrik?”

“Yeah,” he chuckled, “but I don’t call it that.”

He sucked in his breath as I moved my hand further, placing it on his crotch and squeezing him gently through the fabric of his jeans. “And what do you call it?”

“Oh, um,” he blushed, “I don’t really have a name for it.”

“No?” I sat up and moved my leg over to straddle him, leaning over to kiss him. My hands moved down and reached his belt, slowly sliding the leather through the buckle until it was undone, then quickly flicked open the button. I pulled up his shirt, placing my hands beneath it on his hot skin, and trailed them downwards, pulling his jeans down and reaching under the waistband of his underwear to take hold of his dick.

“You’re right,” I said, stroking his length. “Little Henrik isn’t a good name.”

His eyes closed and he groaned as my hand moved up and down, pumping him slowly. “What would you… suggest?”

I leaned back and smiled. “I think… Lord Fotheringham.”

His eyes opened as he stared back at me, raising an eyebrow. “That’s a mouthful.”

I grinned wickedly, sliding down and settling between his legs under the duvet. He twitched in my hand as my tongue reached out, licking his tip. “Exactly,” I murmured, before taking him into my mouth.

He moaned and bucked against me so I placed my hands on his hips, holding him down as I alternated between licking along his length and sucking him into my mouth. His fingers found their way into my hair, and I let him push my head down, taking him as deep as I could. He shuddered, my teeth gently scraping along his skin as I pulled my head back, then down again, relaxing my throat to take him further.

“Fuck,” he moaned, and I swallowed, the tightness around him bringing him over the edge as he throbbed and pulsed coming deep in my throat, growling and clenching my hair with desperation.

I licked him clean, then slid back up, letting him taste himself on my lips as I kissed him slowly. His hands traveled up my thighs, hiking my skirt up around my waist as he caressed my skin. I shivered as he worked his way towards my inner thighs, finally reaching the edge of my panties.

“These need to come off,” he growled, and I quickly moved to comply, sliding them down my legs before straddling him again. He started moving his fingers in circles around my clit, pressing gently as I squirmed against his hand, soft moans of pleasure escaping my lips. I leaned forward and kissed him hard, thrusting my tongue against his as his fingers worked me slowly. I rolled my hips against him and soon felt his cock hardening again beneath my stomach.

“I think Lord Fotheringham is awake,” I murmured into his ear, reaching down to take him in my hand and start pumping him slowly. He groaned, still sensitive, and reached for my lips to kiss me deeply, muffling his moans.

His fingers slowed their movements on my clit, and slipped between my wet folds, stroking slowly. I pushed my hips down against his hand, ecstasy coursing through me as he curled his fingers inwards before pumping them, eliciting quiet moans out of me. His other hand slipped under my top, caressing the smooth skin of my stomach as he moved upwards and cupped one of my breasts. A groan of pleasure escaped my lips as he rolled my nipple between his fingers and I buried my head into his shoulder, tension coiling up in me as he brought me to the edge.

Sensing how close I was, he pulled his fingers out of me, and I whined against him as he sat up straighter against the headboard of the bed.

“Pants,” he said, gesturing towards the garment that was still caught around his legs, out of his reach. I sat back in confusion. He gestured again. “I want to feel you come on my cock.”

Immediately I reached for his pants, sliding my hands into each pocket until I found a condom, making quick work of rolling it onto him. A shiver raced up my spine as I positioned myself, sinking onto him and revelling in the sudden fullness of him inside me. I moaned and lifted myself up and came down hard again, rolling my hips against his as he bucked up into me. He matched my movements, thrusting upwards as he gripped my thighs and set a frantic pace, making both our breaths hitch.

My hands came up onto his shoulders, digging in as I leveraged against him. I leaned forward and took his mouth in a sloppy kiss, desperate for more contact. Fire pooled low in my belly, building up with each thrust, each movement of his hips against mine until I couldn’t take anymore and collapsed against him, a silent scream caught in my throat as the shockwaves passed through me.

His grip tightened as he continued thrusting, until finally he came deep inside me with a curse, throwing his head back against the cushions, his hips still pushing up as he rode out his high. Finally his movements stopped and he wrapped his arms around me, holding me close against him as we panted, trying to catch our breath.

Finally I rolled off him and my hands roamed around under the duvet, searching for my underwear and pulling them back on, straightening my clothes.

“You’re amazing, Josie,” Henrik said in a slightly raspy voice, gazing at me with half-lidded eyes.

I smiled, leaning over as he pulled me towards him into a deep, sensuous kiss. “So’s Lord Fotheringham,” I winked cheekily.

He laughed, shaking his head. “Yeah, that name’s not sticking. C’mon, let’s go to bed.”

“Aw, but I liked that name.”

He stood up, taking my hand and pulling me to my feet. “Nah, too posh. Feels weird.”

“Fine… how ‘bout Thor Jr.?”

He chuckled softly. “I’ll think about it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comment to let me know what you think, and subscribe to not miss an update! ❤


	23. Casa Amor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls are going on a trip...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Felix doesn't belong on Love Island, so he's been replaced. Sorry, not sorry. I've also made some other slight adjustments to a couple of the boys to make them a bit more Love Island appropriate. FB, do better next time.

_ DING! _

My eyes fluttered open to a dark room, and I groggily wondered if the beep of the phone was just a dream or if it had actually happened. Henrik’s breathing was steady against my neck and his arm was heavy around my waist, so I carefully shifted over to the edge of the bed and felt around on the side table for the phone. As my fingers made contact with the device, I heard another beep in the room. And then another.

_ What the hell is going on? _

I finally caught hold of the phone and pulled it towards my face, squinting at the screen as I opened the message.

‘Josie, today you and the girls are going on a mini-break. You must all get ready and meet at the entrance without waking the boys. #catsaway #micegonna’

_ A mini-break? What does that mean? _

“What’s this about, then?” Chelsea’s voice seemed extra loud against the contrast of the quiet room, only Noah’s snores breaking the silence.

“Shhh!”

For a minute there was only silence and the glow of phone screens as each of the girls read the texts they had received.

Hope broke the silence with a loud whisper. “Girls. Dressing room, now.”

There was a rustle of sheets and shuffling of bodies as the girls slipped quietly out of their beds. I carefully lifted Henrik’s arm from around my waist, freezing as he mumbled into his pillow. He stopped and I slowly rolled out from under him, placing his arm gently down on the mattress as I stood to my feet. I followed the other girls as we tiptoed out the bedroom, closing the door gently behind me as Chelsea burst into giggles.

“Good work being so quiet, everyone,” Hope said as we entered the dressing room. “Excellent teamwork. That is what I’m about!”

I rolled my eyes.  _ Thanks, mum. _

“Can you imagine all the boys’ faces when they wake up without us?” she continued. “I wish I could see it. It’s gonna be so funny.”

“Alright, let’s get ready and get out of here, quick,” Lottie said, picking up her cleanser and heading into the bathroom.

The dressing room and bathroom became a frenzy of activity as we got ready for the day.

“What do we even wear?” Marisol mumbled as she looked through the jumble of clothes in her wardrobe. “We don’t know where we’re going.”

“Just prepare for anything, I guess,” Priya replied, pulling a one-piece swimsuit and shorts out of her cupboard.

I changed into a navy-blue bikini and covered it with a pair of denim shorts and a sheer, lacy white tank top. I finished the outfit with strappy yellow 4-inch sandals, and pulled my hair up into a messy bun. I applied a quick layer of makeup, but figured that since it was just a girls’ trip I didn’t need to put too much effort in. I finished ahead of the other girls, so I decided to get out of their way and headed downstairs to wait for them.

As I sat on the bottom step, my eyes wandered over to the bedroom door.

_ We’re not supposed to wake the boys, but… where’s the harm in saying a quick goodbye? _

I slipped off my shoes and noiselessly tiptoed to the door, opening it slowly and entering the room. I snuck over to my bed and gently lifted the covers, sliding in next to Henrik. I lowered my face to his and kissed his cheek, my lipstick leaving a mark behind. He stirred, but didn’t wake. I ran my fingers through his long hair, and his eyelashes fluttered briefly before his eyes finally opened.

“Hey,” I whispered softly.

“Oh, hey,” he smiled, the look on his face turning to confusion as he took in my appearance. He propped himself up on his elbows, looking around the dark room and noticing the girls’ absence. “What’s going on?”

“You didn’t hear this from me, but the girls all got a text. We’re going on a mini-break.”

“A what?”

“Yeah, I don’t know, either. Just that we were supposed to be quiet and not wake you guys up. I didn’t know when we’d be back, so I thought I’d come say goodbye.”

He gave me a lazy smile as he lowered himself back onto the pillow, reaching a hand to the back of my neck. “You rule-breaker, you.” He pulled me down towards him, my lips meeting his in a soft, sleepy kiss.

I pulled away when I heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs.

“I’ve gotta go. Say goodbye to Lord Fotheringham for me.”

“Say goodbye yourself,” he smirked.

I chuckled softly before throwing back the duvet and cupping his length through his boxers. I hooked my fingers onto the waistband and pulled down, releasing his dick and taking it into my hand, stroking it lightly as he sucked in his breath. I leaned over and trailed kisses along his shaft, leaving traces of my lipstick behind.

“Goodbye Lord Fotheringham,” I whispered. “Be a good boy, now.”

Henrik groaned as I pulled his boxers back up, and I placed my fingers over his lips to quiet him.

“Shh.”

He pulled me on top of him and I let my legs fall to either side of his, straddling him as he pulled my head down to kiss me roughly.

“Don’t go,” he murmured. There was stirring from one of the other beds, and I knew I had to get going.

“I have to. But I’ll be back soon, okay?”

“Oi, quiet down over there,” someone mumbled.

I gave Henrik another quick peck on the lips and climbed off of him. “Gotta go. Bye!”

His hands clung to me but I shook him off, grabbed my shoes, and quickly tiptoed out the door. I pushed open the villa’s front door, squinting into the early morning sun. Two jeeps waited on the driveway, the other girls already sitting inside.

“There you are!” Priya opened the door, beckoning me into the second vehicle. “I’d ask where you were, but your lipstick is smudged.”

I gave her a smirk as I climbed in next to her, pulling the door shut behind me as the driver turned the key in the ignition and the vehicle roared to life.

Ten minutes later, we rolled to a stop outside another villa and piled out of the vehicles.

“Where are we?” Lottie asked, looking around.

“Let’s find out!” Chelsea strode confidently up to the front door and pushed it open. The rest of us looked around at each other before quickly following behind her.

We walked in and found ourselves in a hallway stretching out in both directions. Directly ahead of us, a sliding glass door beckoned us into a small, covered patio with a large dining table. Beyond the table, the patio opened up into the yard with an inviting blue pool, sun loungers, and brightly-coloured beanbags – just like our own villa.

“What is going on?” Hope gasped, bringing her hands up to cover her mouth as she looked around.

“Hello, paradise!” Chelsea squealed, throwing her arms up.

“We’re not staying here, are we?” Priya asked. “What about our clothes? Our makeup? My perfumes?”

Beside the pool there was a small table with a bucket of ice and champagne bottles. On top of the bucket was an envelope, which Marisol grabbed and opened. There was a note inside, which she began to read:

“Girls, welcome to Casa Amor. You will be staying here for the next few days. Enjoy your mini-break. #whatgoesontour #staysontour”

“Girls on tour! Girls on tour!”

We cheered as Hope popped open a bottle of bubbly and we each took a glass, clinking them together. “To a mini-break without the boys, and girls’ bonding time!”

I looked around the patio as I sipped my drink. My eyes rested on the table just inside the door.

_ Wait a second… _

My hand reached out and grabbed Priya’s wrist.

“Guys… that table has twelve chairs.”

“So?”

“So, there’s only six of us.”

Realization quickly dawned on us.

“We’re getting new boys!”

“New boys?”

“Oh my days!”

“Come, let’s take a look around before they get here!”

In addition to the pool and lounge chairs, there was a firepit almost identical to the one back in the main villa, and tucked away in a corner there was a swinging daybed.

I nudged Priya. “Imagine having sex on that thing? You might get seasick.”

A sly grin crossed her face as she inspected the bed. “Maybe we could take it apart and put these chains to better use.”

“Now there’s an idea.”

We headed inside, where we found a bedroom with six double beds, each covered in either a green or yellow duvet. The room was smaller than what we had in the main villa, with three beds on either side of the room and narrow spaces in between.

“Oh my god, we’re going to be sharing with the new boys!”

“We’re practically going to be sleeping on top of each other, the beds are so close.”

Further in, we discovered a dressing room and large bathroom, both decorated in the classic Love Island style with brightly coloured sayings on the walls. There was even a Beach Hut, making this villa a mini version of the main one.

After exploring the place from top to bottom, we wandered back outside and sat around the firepit.

“So, what are we thinking, ladies?” Hope asked. “The past few days have been a lot, so this could be a good chance to just forget about things and have some fun.”

“I know I plan to,” Marisol said. “I’m gonna be like a kid in a candy store when the new boys get in here.”

“Same, I think,” Lottie agreed. “Obviously, I haven’t had much luck in the villa, and Rahim and I only just coupled up…”

“Well, you all know I’d rather be with Noah,” Hope threw a glance in Priya’s direction, “but since I apparently can’t have him, and I’m not sure how I feel about Jakub yet, I’m open to enjoying myself for a few days.”

Priya smirked slightly but otherwise ignored Hope’s look, sitting straighter and lifting her chin. “And I’ve only just gotten what I wanted, so I’m not planning on throwing it away.”

“What about you, Josie?” Chelsea asked. “Could your head be turned?”

I shook my head. “Nah, I’ve got a good thing going with Henrik, I’m not about to jeopardize that. I’m loyal, babes.”

“But what if, like, your perfect man walks in?”

I shrugged. “Right now I’m keeping my focus on Henrik. I’ve caused enough drama, for once I want to just keep my head down.”

“It is wild, though,” Chelsea tapped a finger on her lips, “because there are obvs a load of new girls back in the villa, cracking on with our men! And I’m like, if that’s happening, then  _ I’m _ happening. You know what I mean?”

“Ugh, new girls,” Lottie grimaced. “Get rid. No offense, Chels.”

“No worries, babes!”

“Not gonna lie, the thought of a load of hot new girls in the villa, cracking on with our guys…”

“The timing’s kind of weird, right?” Priya asked, looking around at each of us. “I mean, I just got together with Noah, and now I’ve got to worry about him being grafted on by a bunch of new girls.”

“Don’t worry, Pri,” I smirked, “even if he liked any of them, they’ll be gone by the time he decides to make a move.”

We all shared a laugh at that, even Hope cracking a small smile.

Chelsea’s phone beeped, and she squealed as she looked at the screen.

“’Girls, it’s time to meet the new boys. #playnice #butnottoonice’ Here we go!”

“Yes! Bring them on!”

“Oh em gee, here they come!”

One by one, the new boys walked out of the villa and introduced themselves to us. First was Elijah, a 27-year-old model from Watford. Right away his eyes were on Chelsea, and she blushed under his direct gaze. 

_ I wonder if he’ll turn her head? He’s hot and he knows it. _

Next was Andrew, a 25-year-old scaffolder from Manchester. Blond and blue-eyed, he was basically a taller, more clean-shaven version of Gary. 

_ Cute, but looks cocky. _

A 26-year-old dark-haired DJ came out next, looking across at the line of girls and nodding slowly. He shyly introduced himself as Kassam. 

_ Interesting. Wonder if he’ll stay that quiet or come out of his shell a bit? _

He was followed by a bulky red-haired man, a bouncer named Graham. He oozed confidence, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked us over. 

“Hi girls,” he said with a smile.

“Hello!” a few of the girls responded, giggling.

The next man to come out was a 28-year-old veterinarian named Arjun, from Leeds. He had a friendly smile with a cheeky sparkle in his eyes. 

“Alright, ladies?”

Finally, the last man out was a tall Irish tech entrepreneur named Carl. He was attractive, but seemed like a bit of a geek.

_ Meh. _

I cast my eyes over the group of new boys and had to admit to myself that I wasn’t tempted in the least. They seemed like nice enough guys, and they were each attractive in their own way, but it was safe to assume that none of them would end up being “my perfect man.”

The introductions completed, the boys joined us around the firepit.

“So, who do you all fancy?” Chelsea leaned forward in her seat, eyes sparkling with excitement. “You’ve all been watching the show so I just  _ know _ you’ve already got all kinds of ideas about who you want to crack on with. Who do you find the most attractive? What are your usual types? Spill the tea!”

The boys looked around at each other, overwhelmed at the rapid-fire questions from the little blonde spitfire.

“You girls are a handful!” Graham smiled. “Personally, I’m going to keep my cards close to my chest… for now.”

“Oh, that’s no fun!” Chelsea pouted.

Graham nudged Carl with his elbow. “Carl, mate, you go first. Who do you fancy?”

“Oh, um,” Carl blushed, lowering his eyes. “From watching the show, I’ve got to say, Hope? Or Marisol? I mean, I’m open to getting to know everyone, though.”

_ Really? Those two? Have fun with that… _

“For me, it’s all about Priya and Josie,” Andrew said, looking at the two of us.

I gave him an appreciative smile. “Thanks, but we’re both staying loyal.”

He shrugged, undeterred. “Doesn’t mean I can’t give it my best shot.”

“What about you, Kassam?” Chelsea asked.

He raised his eyebrows slightly, as if surprised to be spoken to. He shrugged, then answered quietly but firmly. “Gotta be Lottie.”

Lottie sat up straighter, looking him over with the hint of a smile on her face.

“I’m really looking forward to getting to know Chelsea,” Elijah smiled as Chelsea’s eyes lit up and she giggled.

Finally we turned to Arjun, who was the last to speak up. “It’s weird to say this with you all sitting here, but probably Priya, Josie, and Lottie? I think I’ll know better when I’ve gotten to know you all a bit.”

“Good lad,” Graham said. He was about to say something further when he was interrupted by the beep of a phone.

“Oh, hang on,” I said, looking at my device. “Guys, I got a text! ‘Girls, it’s time to get to know these boys a bit better. Get ready for a round of speed dating. #icebreaker #cocktailshaker’”

Chelsea clapped her hands in front of her. “Oh, fun!”

“Yes!” Carl smiled. “A chance to spend an equal amount of time with everyone sounds great.”

“A chance to show who’s got the chat, eh, boys?” Elijah grinned.

“Fantastic,” Lottie smiled. “Alright, boys, let’s get to it.”

*********

The speed dating was exhausting. We had a few minutes with each guy, and then a buzzer would sound and the next guy would sit down until we’d each talked to everyone. Then for some reason we did a second round, but I kept mixing up who had said what from the first round and ended up rehashing most of the information I’d learned in round one. By the time we were done, I had a jumbled mess of random facts in my brain and couldn’t remember which facts were associated with which guy.

When the final buzzer sounded, I was hot, sticky, and thinking about how I already missed the guys back in the main villa.

_ Did they say how long this ‘mini-break’ is supposed to be? _

“I need to cool off,” Lottie fanned her face with her hands as she stood from her seat.

“Pool?”

“Pool!”

*********

“I’ve got a text!” Priya yelled. After a brief swim to cool down, her and I had retreated to the sun loungers while the rest kept splashing around in the pool.

“Did someone say they’ve had sex?” Chelsea asked, poking her head above the coping.

“No,” Priya laughed, holding up her phone. “Text.”

“Oh! Text, guys!”

They all swam over to the sides of the pool, listening intently.

“’Girls, it’s time to head to the bedroom to claim a special delivery from your boys back at the villa. #baggagedrop #checkingin #unexpecteditem’”

“Baggage drop?” Lottie questioned. “Don’t tell me they let the boys pack for us!”

“Come on girls,” Hope pulled herself out of the pool, “let’s go and find out what this is all about.”

We hurried into the bedroom to find our suitcases laid out on the beds.

“Yes, my clothes!” Priya exclaimed. “I can’t wait to see what the boys packed us. Hopefully Noah packed me some nice things.”

“Aren’t all of your things nice?” I asked, to which she threw me back a grateful smile.

“I should think so, I spend enough on looking good.”

“I hope Gary remembered to pack me some underwear!” Chelsea giggled as she unzipped her suitcase. “I can just see him forgetting something like that!”

“Who needs underwear?” Lottie smirked. “We’ve got six hot new guys ready to take them off!”

I pulled back the zipper on my case and flipped the top open. Right on top was one of Henrik’s t-shirts, his distinct lavender scent wafting upwards and bringing a smile to my face.

_ Is it weird that I miss him already? _

I picked up the t-shirt to set it aside when my eyes fell on a plastic container. I pulled off the lid and found a napkin with the words ‘Not for sharing’ written in what looked like eyeliner pencil. I lifted the corner of the napkin and peeked underneath. My eyes lit up at the sight of the chocolate chip cookies Bobby had baked the day before, and I quickly closed the lid and stuffed the container under my clothes, looking around to ensure nobody else had noticed.

_ Bobby is so sweet! _

“What did you get, Josie?” Priya asked.

“Sorry, what?”

“From Henrik. The boys all sent us something special.”

“Or at least, some of them did,” Marisol said bitterly.

I couldn’t resist smirking at the fact that her partner had sent something to me instead of her. Between his recoupling speech last night and now omitting to send her a special token, Bobby was showing that he hadn’t forgotten the way she treated him when they were coupled up. He wasn’t one to make a big scene, choosing instead to use petty gestures to get back at her, and I loved it.

“Oh, I just got one of his t-shirts. Y’know, with the Swedish rock bands I’ve never heard of?”

“Aw, that’s sweet!” Priya smiled.

The other girls shared what their boys had all sent them. Chelsea received a cork from a bottle of bubbly from Gary, Rahim had sent Lottie an action figure (which Priya claimed was Violet Man), Noah sent Priya a pair of his boxers, and Hope received a packet of protein powder from Jakub. Marisol was the only one who didn’t receive anything.

“Oh well,” she sniffed. “With six hot new boys to choose from, it’s not like I’m sticking with Bobby anyway.”

I froze. “Wait, what happens when we go back to the villa? What if someone switches but their current partner doesn’t?”

_ At least I know Bobby doesn’t like Marisol, either. He’d better find someone to recouple with! _

We looked around at each other, uncertain about what was in store after this mini-break.

“Where’s that note we got when we came in?” Hope asked. “Did it say anything about what’s going to happen?”

Marisol shook her head. “No, just that we’re staying here for a few days. I assume we’ll get a choice to recouple with the new boys, and anyone not in a couple gets dumped.”

“So, what, if one person chooses to switch but the other person doesn’t, they’ll just get dumped without a warning?” I crossed my arms. “That doesn’t seem fair.”

She shrugged. “That’s just my assumption. And I have every intention of recoupling, so I know I don’t have to worry, at least.”

She turned on her heel and left the bedroom, heading back outside to where the boys were still hanging out.

_ Bitch. _

*********

“So you’re not worried about the new girls in the villa?”

I gave Priya a look over the refrigerator door. “Phf, why should I be? Henrik would be crazy to give this up,” I smirked as I waved my hand over my body.

It was early evening, and the other girls and guys were still getting ready. Priya and I had decided to keep things low-key, since we weren’t trying to impress anyone.

“Very true,” she laughed, her eyes openly checking me out in my distressed shorts and low-cut bodysuit. “Are you guys getting serious?”

“We haven’t really talked about it,” I shrugged, pulling a couple beers out of the fridge and closing the door. I handed her one of the beers and cracked open the other one. “We’re getting along really well, though, so I’m definitely open to seeing where things go.”

“You’re lucky you at least had a few days to spend getting to know each other,” she stared down at the beer can with a frown. “You can feel confident knowing that you’re with the right person.”

“Aw, babe,” I reached over, placing a comforting hand on her arm. “I told you, you don’t have anything to worry about. Noah won’t switch.”

Priya looked around to ensure we were alone before turning back to me and lowering her voice. “That’s not really what I’m worried about.”

“What is it, then?”

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I don’t know, I just – I have my misgivings about the whole situation, going back to the first recoupling. The fact that he chose Hope to keep his options open, and then barely made an effort with me until they started fighting and you called him out. I just wonder if that’s the kind of man I want to be with, and if it was worth all the drama.”

“And then as soon as you finally got together, you’re split up again.”

“Exactly. If we’d at least had a few days to sort things out and get to know each other better, I would have a better idea of what I want.”

“I’m sorry, Pri.” I took a sip of beer as I pondered her situation. “Tell you what. Share a bed with me tonight, and then just let loose and enjoy this break. Get to know the guys if you want, but don’t put any pressure on yourself to find a connection. Hopefully by the end of this mini-break you’ll have a bit more clarity on what you want to do.”

The other islanders started coming out of the villa, so she just smiled and squeezed my shoulder. “Thanks, hun. And that’s a yes to sharing a bed.”

“Can’t wait!” I winked.

We headed to the firepit with the others and chatted in a group for a bit, until Lottie received a text.

“’Islanders, tonight you will compete in a challenge against the six boys and six girls back in the villa. You’ll have 5 minutes to act out as many sexy charades as possible. The villa that gets the most correct wins. #getyouracttogether #sexscenes’”

“Ooh, we have to win!”

“We have to fucking win.”

Carl and Hope immediately paired up, as well as Elijah and Chelsea, and Kassam and Lottie. Graham came up to me and I agreed to be his partner, and Andrew quickly claimed Priya. Arjun looked slightly annoyed as he was left to partner up with Marisol.

A buzzer sounded, and Carl and Hope jumped up and grabbed the first card. They glanced at it and immediately dropped to the ground and lay on their sides, with Hope’s back up against Carl’s chest.

“SPOONING!”

“Yes!” They got up and ran back to the bench while Elijah and Chelsea picked up the next card.

“Everyone loves a good spoon, don’t they?” Priya smirked.

Chelsea giggled as she read the card. She whispered quickly in Elijah’s ear, and then she waited while he closed his eyes and brought his hands together next to his face, pretending to be asleep. She then turned to us and started hopping on one foot.

“Sleeping…”

“Jumping out of bed—"

“Bed hopping!”

Chelsea squealed and grabbed Elijah’s hand as they ran back to the bench.

Priya and Andrew stood next, and she laughed when she read the card. Andrew grinned broadly, then immediately lowered his head to her ample cleavage and shook his head violently.

“MOTORBOATING!”

Priya rolled her eyes as they returned to the bench. “Figures I would get that one.”

I picked up the card for my turn and groaned.

_ Shit! Why did I have to get this one? _

I handed the card to Graham and watched as his eyes lit up. He stepped towards me and put an arm around my waist as he lowered his head to capture my mouth with his. I had no choice but to play along, parting my lips and kissing him back as we waited for the others to guess.

“Kissing!”

“Making out!”

“SNOGGING!”

I gratefully pushed him away and felt my face flush as we returned to the bench.

_ Ugh, I hope Henrik doesn’t have to do that one. Shit, what’s Henrik doing right now? _

“Sorry about that,” Graham said quietly as the others continued playing the game around us.

I gave my head a slight shake. “No worries, it’s just the game.”

“For what it’s worth, I enjoyed it. Henrik’s a lucky guy.”

“Thanks,” I said curtly, not wanting to engage in a discussion with some stranger I had just snogged over the guy I had left back in the villa. I returned my focus to the game, watching Marisol awkwardly pretend to give Arjun a lap dance.

Soon enough it was our turn again. I pulled the card and breathed a sigh of relief at the fact it was one that wouldn’t involve physical contact.

“Okay, pretend you’re waking up!” I directed. He lay down on the ground and closed his eyes, then opened his eyes and feigned a yawn. I hovered my hand a few inches above his crotch.

“Waking up…”

“Morning glory!”

“Yes!” We ran back to the bench as Lottie and Kassam got up.

They looked at the card, then kissed each other quickly on the lips.

“Kissing!”

_ Wait, that’s it? They got to just kiss, and I had to full-on snog someone? _

The buzzer went off to end the game, and everyone else cheered.

“We smashed it, guys!”

We didn’t have to wait long for the results, as Hope received a text .

“’Islanders, the results of the challenge are in… Casa Amor scored 13 points… however, the Main Villa scored 15 points, making them the winners. #loverivals #allsfairinloveandwar’”

“Fifteen points?” Chelsea crossed her arms. “ _ Fifteen _ points? How did they manage that?”

_ Lovely. I snogged Graham for nothing, while Henrik must’ve acted his charades really quickly. _

“This sucks! I really thought we’d win.”

While the others got up and headed to the kitchen for a drink, I stayed rooted in my seat on the bench. I stared into the firepit as I reflected on the challenge and the day’s events. Things had been going so well with Henrik, and some of the villa drama was finally settling down. Why did the producers have to choose this moment to send us away?

“Josie?”

I looked up to see Graham coming over with two glasses of wine. He handed one to me as he sat down on the bench next to me.

“Thanks,” I said, and took a sip.

“Look, I know you said you’re staying loyal to Henrik, and I think that’s really cool. But I was just wondering, with the bed situation… would you like to share with me?”

I took another sip of the wine before answering, smirking slightly as an idea formed. “I’m sharing with Priya tonight. But you seem like a nice guy, so just between you and me, if you want the best chance of getting back to the villa you should go for Marisol.”

Graham coughed slightly, tapping his fist against his chest. “Marisol, huh? She seems a bit much for a simple guy like me. I figure she’d be more interested in an intellectual guy like Arjun or Carl.”

“She didn’t seem to like being paired with Arjun during the challenge, so she’s available. You’ve just got to get to her before one of the other guys does, give her some attention. She’s ripe for the picking, she’ll fall for it if she thinks you’re only interested in her.”

“What if I don’t really fancy her?”

I shrugged. “She’s your ticket into the main villa. Once you’re there, you crack on with whoever you like.”

I stood to leave and rejoin the others, but before I did so I turned and gave him a wink. “Good luck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, Comment, Subscribe! Your support means the world to me. ❤💕❤


	24. Postcards

“I got a text!”

It was the afternoon of our second day in Casa Amor. Since I had made it crystal clear to the boys that I was staying loyal to Henrik, they had spent the morning focusing their attentions on the other girls in the villa, leaving me to my own devices. I was happy enough to join in the group chats and get to know the boys that way, but otherwise I was there to support the girls and wait until the Jeeps came back to bring us “home.”

The others came over to the sun lounger as I pulled out my phone to read the text I had just received.

“’Islanders, this afternoon the villa will take on Casa Amor in a series of cheeky challenges. The first villa to complete each challenge wins a point. The villa that received the most points will win a party tonight. #onenildown #upyourgame”

“Woo! Let’s win this!”

We arranged the sun loungers in a semi-circle next to the pool, and I found myself sandwiched between Priya and Andrew.

“Okay, everyone,” Graham said, “we lost the challenge last night, so let’s pull out all the stops today. No holding back. Let’s win this thing.”

We cheered, then waited in silent anticipation for the instructions to come through.

_DING!_

Graham looked at his phone. “That’s me! ‘The tallest girl must snog the shortest boy.’”

“Who’s the tallest girl?”

Hope jumped up, looking frantically among the boys to see who was shortest, before running over to Kassam.

Eyes wide, he looked around at the other guys. “Am I really the shortest?”

“Yeah, you are.”

He reluctantly stood up, and she grabbed his face and quickly snogged him, before they separated and returned to their seats with reddened faces.

“Who’s the shortest boy in the villa?” Chelsea asked.

“Gary, I think,” I replied.

Her brows furrowed and her lower lip pushed forward.

“It’s okay, it’s just a challenge,” Lottie patted her back comfortingly. “We’re all going to have to do something like that.”

_That’s certainly a change in tune from the early days. Lottie really seems to be mellowing out._

I caught her eye and gave her an encouraging smile, which she returned with a wink.

_DING!_

“’One girl must plant 20 lipstick kisses on the chest of any boy.’”

“Dibs!” Priya jumped up and ran into the villa, coming back seconds later with a bright red lipstick. She smeared it onto her lips and ran towards the closest boy.

“I could get used to this,” Arjun laughed as she left kisses all over his chest and arms, wherever there was bare skin.

_DING!_

“’The boy and girl with the longest hair must snog for 5 seconds.’”

Carl and Hope quickly leaned towards each other and began snogging.

“That was fast! We smashed that one for sure!”

_The boy with the longest hair. That’s Henrik._

My knuckles whitened as I clenched tightly to the phone in my hands, thinking about Henrik snogging some other girl.

_Why am I finding this so upsetting? We’ve only been together a few days, and before that I wasn’t even looking at him!_

“Hey,” Priya nudged my shoulder lightly. “Don’t worry, it’s just a challenge.”

I breathed in and exhaled slowly. “I know. This isn’t like me… I guess I just miss him, is all.”

She placed her hand over mine, and I finally loosened my grip on the phone. “I know. These challenges are fun, but they’re headfucks. That’s the whole point. He’s not going to have his head turned.”

_DING!_

I jumped as the phone in my hand went off and I opened it to read the text.

“’The girl with the most tattoos must give a 30-second lap-dance to the boy with the most tattoos.’”

Lottie ran over to Graham and stood between his legs as she danced, moving her hands along her body and then turning and grinding up against him as Hope counted the seconds in the background.

“Wow,” he grinned, clearly enjoying himself. Hope finished counting to thirty and Lottie smirked as she moved back to her seat next to Kassam.

_DING!_

“’3 islanders must perform an underwater 3-way kiss.’”

Chelsea squealed as she jumped up and tore off her mic pack. Elijah and Andrew followed suit, and the three of them jumped into the pool and disappeared underwater. After a few seconds, they resurfaced and climbed out of the pool with grins on their faces.

“That was so much fun!” Chelsea giggled.

_DING!_

“’The tallest boy must snog a girl of his choice.’”

Graham immediately leaned over towards Marisol and began kissing her passionately. When they finally separated, Marisol’s face was flushed and her mouth twisted into a satisfied smirk.

_Graham is bringing his A-game, I love it._

I waited until Marisol wasn’t looking, then threw Graham a wink. He smirked back at me and nodded slightly.

_DING!_

“’All islanders must get into a sex position of their choice with someone of the opposite sex.’”

We all got to our feet and separated into pairs. Andrew was closest to me, so he grabbed my hips and pulled me up against him.

“Bend over!”

I bent over, placing my hands on my knees as he held my ass against his hips. I looked around at the others to see Priya straddling Arjun, Hope and Carl spooning, Marisol clinging onto Graham with her legs wrapped around his waist, and the others in doggy position.

_Focus on the game, Josie, don’t think about what Henrik’s doing right now._

A few more rounds went by with a variety of kisses, snogs, and lap dances. Thankfully, I managed to avoid having to get too involved.

_DING!_

“’2 boys and 2 girls must jump in the pool naked.’”

Elijah, Arjun, and Lottie immediately stood up and began taking off their mic packs.

“C’mon, we need one more girl!”

The other girls looked around at each other, shaking their heads. I rolled my eyes, then finally stood up.

“Yes, Josie!” Priya cheered. “Hurry!”

I ripped off my mic pack as the others were already running towards the pool, then pulled the strings on my bikini top as I followed. I dropped the top, then quickly shimmied out of the bottoms before pinching my nose and jumping feet first into the pool.

I resurfaced to see the others laughing and treading water.

“Josie!” Lottie grinned at me and held up her hand for a high-five, which I returned with a reluctant smile. “I knew you’d be up for it.”

I gave my shoulder a slight shrug as I kept my head above water. “Someone had to do it.”

“Oh, psh, I’m sure you enjoyed it. You’re usually up for a bit of daring.”

“Usually I’m not getting naked on television.”

_Except that time Henrik and I did it in the shower…_

She caught my blush and smirked. “No big deal, it’s not like they can show your bits. And you’ve got a hot bod, anyway.”

_DING!_

“TEXT!”

We looked over to where the rest of the islanders were still sitting on the loungers.

“All islanders must jump in the pool!”

Those of us already in the pool swam away from the edge as the others came running towards the pool and jumped in with whoops and hollers.

We splashed around for a few minutes, until the sound of an incoming text was heard coming from the sun loungers.

“I’ll get it!” Chelsea climbed out of the pool and ran towards the lounger, looking through all the phones until she found the one with the notification and swiping it open. “’The final score is Casa Amor – 8, Main Villa – 6, which means Casa Amor has won the challenge!’”

“YEAH!!!”

“WOOOOOO!!!”

“Way to go, team!!”

The others clambered out of the pool as Lottie, Elijah, Arjun, and I swam to the edge.

“Someone hand us our swimsuits, will ya?”

“… Anyone?”

“… Guys!”

The others simply ignored us and headed towards the villa to grab towels.

“HEY!”

*********

The lawn glowed with hundreds of fairy lights as we enjoyed our well-earned party, taking full advantage of the extra alcohol we were given. Music played and we danced in one big group, letting loose and enjoying ourselves.

Eventually we began to disperse into smaller groups, and Priya pulled me over to the swinging daybed. We jumped onto the bed, giggling as it rocked back and forth while we tried to pull ourselves up into sitting positions among the cushions.

“So, how are you feeling now?” she asked.

“Better, for sure. I think in the heat of the challenge it’s easy to let your mind go wild, but I just need to trust in what Henrik and I have.”

“And what’s that?”

“Really great sexual chemistry,” I smirked. “God, I miss his dick.”

I buried my face in a cushion as we both burst into laughter.

“In all seriousness, though, he’s just so easy to be myself with, and I know he cares for me. I can’t see him changing his mind after a few days apart.”

“I can’t either,” she smiled. “You two are a really cute couple.”

I smiled giddily, one of those almost involuntary smiles that happen when you’re thinking about a new crush.

“Can you see it working outside of the villa?” Priya asked.

The bed swayed gently as I leaned back against the cushions and pondered the question. “Short-term? Absolutely, I think a relationship with Henrik would be something I’d be interested in. I love that he’s so chill, and I think we would have a lot of fun together. Long term… it’s so hard to tell. I think we’re compatible, it’s just a matter of whether or not the feelings keep growing.”

I looked over at Priya. “What about you? Could you see things working outside the villa with Noah?”

She lowered her eyes as she fiddled with one of the cushions. “That’s what I’ve been wondering. We’re so different, and I can’t help but wonder how quickly I’d get tired of him. He’s attractive, but I barely even know him.” She paused briefly before continuing. “To be honest, I feel like part of the reason I wanted him so much was because for so long, I couldn’t have him.”

“Don’t let Hope hear you say that,” I smirked.

She snorted with laughter. “Not gonna lie, if nothing ever comes of it, it was worth it just to never have to hear her refer to them as a power couple ever again.”

Her face turned serious again, and I waited for her to continue. She remained silent, chewing her bottom lip as she continued to play with the tasseled edges of the cushion.

Finally, I broke the silence. “Is something wrong?”

She sighed, before looking up at me. “Do you remember the challenge from a few days ago?”

I thought back to the challenges we had done in the days leading up to Casa Amor. “Which one, the secrets one? With the mud?”

“Yeah… do you remember my secret?”

I rolled onto my side to face her, propping myself up on my elbow. “Something about an arranged marriage? That was years ago, wasn’t it?”

She nodded slowly. “Yeah, I’ve just been thinking about it. I broke it off because I realized I didn’t want to be stuck in our traditions, being a dutiful wife to a husband I didn’t love. I ended up rebelling against my family, our traditions, our heritage. I wanted to be British, and I embraced a party lifestyle, dated guys my parents wouldn’t approve of, everything. I eventually got back in contact with my family, but by that time I had become my own woman and wasn’t going to let them dictate my life anymore. Even coming on Love Island was something they were dead set against, but I did it anyway.”

“Okay… but what does that have to do with Noah?”

“Not Noah,” she shook her head. She closed her eyes and exhaled, before opening them and looking at me. “Arjun.”

“Arjun?”

“Yeah… I’ve had a few chats with him. And I don’t know, but… I think there might be something there.”

“He seems nice. So what’s the problem?”

“The problem is, he’s the type of guy my parents would absolutely love. He’s Indian, he’s got a good career, and he’s got moves like a Bollywood star.”

“And a cheeky wink!” I laughed, imitating his cheeky flirtation that he’d shown us earlier in the day.

She laughed and did a little dance, making the daybed rock back and forth.

“So what I’m hearing is, you think you might like him, but you don’t want to because that would go against everything you’ve spent your adult life fighting against.”

“Exactly!” she exclaimed. “The last thing I expected when I came on Love Island was to find – and _like_ – a guy that my parents would approve of. And not just approve of, but actually _like._ Ugh, if I brought him home they would immediately start planning a traditional wedding.”

I laughed, and she swatted my arm.

“It’s not funny!”

“I mean, it kind of is.” I sat up and turned serious. “Look, if you do like him, I think you should explore that. I don’t know how much longer we’re in here, but you should take advantage of the time we have left to really get to know him, and see how much you like him. Forget your family, forget Noah – just focus on what you want and what _you_ ,” I placed my index finger on her chest, “are looking for in a man. If you think he might be it, then bring him back to the villa. If not, then stick with Noah for now. But it’s your happiness that you have to think about, not anybody else’s.”

Her eyes glistened with moisture, and she abruptly leaned over and pulled me into a hug. “Thanks, Josie. You know, for someone who does some stupid things, you sure give good advice.”

I chuckled softly as I returned the hug. “You’re welcome, Pri.”

We held each other for a few seconds more, until we were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. We pulled away from each other and saw Arjun sheepishly standing a few feet away, holding a couple champagne glasses.

_How long as he been standing there? How much did he hear?_

“Um, we cracked open another bottle, and I noticed you two had been missing for awhile, so I thought I’d bring you some.” He held the glasses out for us to take.

I smiled and shuffled over to the side of the bed, placing my feet on the ground and standing up. “I’m good, but why don’t I leave you to it?”

“Oh!” He smiled thankfully. “That would be great – if Priya wants to, that is?”

She smiled and patted the space I had just vacated. “Sure, why not?”

I took the glasses from him so he could lower himself to the unstable bed without spilling, then handed them back to him.

“Enjoy!”

I threw Priya a wink, then turned and made my way back towards the main area of the lawn, ready to return to the party.

*********

I groaned and pulled my pillow over my head as the lights came on in the bedroom the next morning. Between the party and noises from the other beds throughout the night, it felt like I had only been asleep for a few minutes before being rudely awoken.

Priya rolled over to face me and lifted the pillow. “Good morning, sunshine!”

I grumbled as I grabbed the pillow away from her, and she giggled. She had shared a bed with me again last night, not wanting to force me into sharing a bed with Andrew. All the other girls were sharing with boys, and based on what I heard last night, at least a few of them were getting along pretty well.

“Get up, sweetie!”

“No, let me sleep.”

There was movement from the other beds as the others began to stir and head towards the dressing room. Priya left to go get ready, while I tried to grab a few extra minutes of sleep.

The brightness of the bedroom proved too much, so eventually I gave up and stumbled into the dressing room. Chelsea was in the middle of a story about creating a ‘positivity room’ for one of her clients, which I thought sounded horrible.

I grabbed my toiletries and headed to the shower. I kept the water cold in an attempt to wake myself up, but I still hadn’t shaken the grogginess by the time I was done. I returned to the dressing room, which was now empty of the other girls. They were clearly going to take every opportunity to do as much grafting as possible.

I finished getting ready and then made my way down the hallway to go outside. As I reached the door and was about to open it, something white and rectangular on the floor caught my eye. On closer inspection I realised it was an envelope, similar to the one we had received the first day here. I picked it up, opened the flap, and peeked inside, only to find six smaller envelopes. Each one had a girl’s name written on it.

I pushed open the sliding glass door and walked outside.

“Hey girls, I’ve got—”

I looked up to see six tables set up on the patio, and five of them were already occupied by couples, each of them eating and chatting away. Andrew sat at the other table by himself, staring at his phone. He looked up at the sound of my voice and smiled, then stood up to pull out the other chair for me to sit at. It was then that I noticed his outfit – he was dressed in small black budgie smugglers, with a bowtie and cuffs. A quick glance around at the other boys confirmed that they were all dressed similarly.

“What’s all this, then?” I asked.

“Oh, Josie!” Chelsea squealed. “You’re finally here! It’s brunch! Sorry, babe, we started without you because you were still in the shower.”

“Oh, I see!” I turned to Andrew. “Sorry to keep you waiting, I didn’t realize.”

“It’s okay, I understand,” he smiled. He jerked his chin towards the envelopes I was holding. “What’ve you got there?”

“These are for all the girls. I’m not sure what they are, actually.”

“Why don’t you hand them out while I get you brunch? What would you like?”

I glanced over at the buffet table, where an assortment of brunch foods were laid out.

“A bit of everything is fine. I’m not too picky.”

He headed to fetch the food while I went around the other tables and handed the girls their envelopes. They each looked confused, and questioned where I had gotten them.

I shrugged. “I found them by the door, just in a plain envelope. I haven’t opened mine yet, so I don’t know what it is.”

The sound of paper being torn filled the air as I handed the last of the envelopes to its owner and returned to my own table. As I was taking my seat, the other girls started gasping.

A knot formed in my stomach as I stared at the envelope in my hands, the one that bore my name.

_What devilry have they cooked up this time?_

“One plate of a bit of everything for the lovely lady,” Andrew said as he placed a plate in front of me and sat down in the chair opposite mine. “Are you going to open that, or just stare at it?”

I would have glared at him if I could only rip my eyes away from my name on the envelope. Finally, I turned it over and slid my finger under the flap, ripping it open. There was a single item inside, a postcard. On the back written in bold black letters were the words ‘Enjoy your trip.’ Hands trembling, I flipped it over to the front.

_What. The. Fuck._

If the cold shower had failed to wake me, the postcard had sent a jolt of electricity through my body, and I was now wide awake – and fuming.

“What the actual fuck?”

At the centre of the postcard was a large close-up photograph of Henrik engaged in an open-mouth kiss with a gorgeous brunette with a deep tan and exotic features. Her manicured hand was tangled in his hair, and the corner of his lips was slightly turned up into a smile. It was a full-on snog, and he looked like he was enjoying it.

On either side of the postcard were two smaller photos. In one, Henrik was wide-eyed as he checked out a girl’s perfect round ass, which was barely covered by her skimpy thong bikini. Judging by the skin tone and hair colour, it was the same girl he was snogging in the main picture. The other picture showed him laughing and getting high fives from Gary and Jakub.

My skin flushed with heat and my chair fell over as I stood abruptly.

“Where are you—” Andrew stammered, but I cut him off.

“I’m not hungry,” I snapped, leaving him sitting there gaping at me as I stormed off towards the swinging bed, clutching the postcard to my chest.

“Josie?” Priya yelled after me, but I didn’t even pause.

I reached the daybed and angrily tore the cushions off one by one, throwing them against the ground.

“Josie!”

I threw myself face first onto the bed, causing it to swing wildly. There was a sudden jerk as another body landed next to me, and I flinched as a hand reached out and touched my shoulder.

“Josie, calm down!” Priya’s voice soothed as she gently stroked my skin and whispered calming words in my ear.

I blinked back hot tears and tried to collect myself as I rolled over and thrust the postcard at her. “Look.”

She picked it up and held it by the edges as she looked it over. She raised her eyebrows and blew out her breath sharply before shaking her head and returning it to me.

“We all got them,” she said. “Postcards of all the boys back in the villa. It’s just another way they’re playing with our emotions.”

I wiped streaks of moisture from my face as I sat up against the headboard and waved the postcard at her again. “But look at him!”

“The kiss is probably from one of the challenges. It’s a closeup, so you can’t see what’s going on in the background. I’d be checking out that ass if I were him, too, and the high-five could be for anything.”

I frowned as I looked at the postcard again. “I mean, it could be a challenge… I had to snog Graham, so there’s a good chance Henrik had to do the same.”

“Exactly. We’ve done two challenges with lots of kissing, so there’s been plenty of opportunity for them to get pictures of all of us.”

I grabbed Priya’s wrist and stared at her with wide eyes. “Do you think the boys got postcards of us, too?”

She bit her lip as she stared back at me. “It wouldn’t surprise me. But don’t let it worry you, I’m sure Henrik trusts you, and I think you should trust him. You guys are the strongest couple in the villa right now. It’s no wonder the producers are trying to stir up drama for you guys.”

I released a long sigh as I gazed at the photo one more time. “You’re right. Henrik and I are in a good place, and he hasn’t given me any reason not to trust him. I need to ignore this and not let it get to me.”

We both rolled off the daybed and she put her arm around me as we walked back to the patio, where the others were polishing off their brunch.

“I just want to see him,” I said. “I’m ready to go back.”

“I know, babe. You’ll see him soon.”

I returned to the table where Andrew was cleaning off his plate, and picked up the chair I had tipped over. I sat down and placed the postcard face-down on the table before picking up my fork and spearing a piece of fruit with it.

Across from me, Andrew wiped his face with a napkin and eyed the postcard. “Can I see?” he asked.

“No,” I said curtly, shaking my head.

“Oh. Well, I saw the other ones, so I guess I have a good idea. If you ask me, those boys were out of line.”

I looked up and glared at him. “I didn’t ask you.”

He shuffled in his seat, looking sheepish. “I just thought—”

“You just thought you could use this as an opportunity to poison me against Henrik and convince me to choose you instead, is that it? Well, I’m staying loyal. The boys did the same challenges we did, so most likely these photos are all from the challenges. I’m not going to let it affect my decision.”

“But what if they get postcards too, and he doesn’t trust you?”

My eyes narrowed and my lips pursed as I stared at him. “You’re skating on thin ice right now, bud.”

He swallowed, and put his hands up. “Sorry. I’ll just leave you to your breakfast then.”

“Good idea.”

He stood, and as I raised my fork to my mouth to eat, someone’s phone beeped.

“Text!” Lottie called. “And it’s a big one.”

“Read it, read it!”

“’Girls, today is your last day in Casa Amor. Tonight there will be a recoupling in which you must decide whether you want to remain coupled up with your partner back in the villa, or recouple with one of the new boys. #stickorswitch #followyourheart’”

_Finally. We’re going home!_

“Girls. Dressing room. Now.”

I grabbed a croissant from my plate and picked up the postcard before following the other girls into the villa, leaving the boys outside to entertain themselves.

“Well, ladies?” Hope asked as we entered the room and closed the door behind us. “What are we thinking?”

“We all know I’m switching,” Marisol replied. “Graham is such a dreamboat.”

_Hook. Line. Sinker._

“I’m sticking with Henrik.”

“Even after getting the postcard?” Hope raised her eyebrows. “You looked pretty upset when you saw it.”

“It was a bit of a shock, but it was probably a challenge. I’m choosing to trust him.”

“Oh, what was on it?” Chelsea asked. “We haven’t seen yours yet!”

I passed it to her and watched as her eyes widened and she brought a hand up to her mouth.

“Oh my!”

She passed it around to the other girls and my stomach tightened as I watched each of their expressions turn to shock.

“It’s probably from one of the challenges,” I said defensively. “I snogged Graham, so I shouldn’t be surprised that he did the same thing.”

Their expressions turned to pity as they looked at me.

“What is it? What was on your postcards?”

Chelsea gathered the other postcards and handed them to me gingerly.

The top card was a photo of Gary receiving a lap dance from a girl covered in tattoos. It was clearly the same challenge that Lottie had done. Two smaller photos showed him sitting up in bed with a different girl, and getting a suncream massage.

The second postcard was of Rahim sitting on a lounger kissing a girl with curly red hair. It also could’ve been from a challenge, but at least it was a closed-mouth kiss instead of the snog that had been in Henrik’s photo. The smaller photos were similar to Gary’s, one with him in a bed with the same girl, and another with the two of them talking by the firepit.

Noah’s and Jakub’s postcards were more of the same – relatively innocent photos compared to the one of Henrik.

_Why is Henrik’s postcard so much worse than the others? Is it because we’re the strongest couple with the most to lose?_

I looked at the final postcard. In the main photo, Bobby lay on one of the daybeds with his arms around four girls, two on each side of him. He was grinning at the camera while the girls hung all over him.

I raised my eyebrows.

_He must be loving the attention from all these girls trying to get into the villa._

In one of the smaller photos, he and a cute brunette with a killer body were in the pool lounging on lilos, and he had his arm out lazily holding on to her lilo to keep them linked together. The final photo was of him in the kitchen with his apron on and wearing a bandana around his dreads, laughing with the same girl. A speck of white caught my eye and I brought the card up to my face to inspect it closer, all but confirming my suspicion that there was a streak of flour on her nose.

_Did he boop her? Is he bringing her back?_

I chewed my bottom lip and kept my eyes down as I placed the postcards on the vanity, not wanting to meet anyone’s pitying glances.

“It doesn’t change anything,” I said quietly. “I’m sticking with him. They’re just trying to create drama.”

“Okay, hun,” Chelsea’s voice squeaked slightly. “If that’s what you want to do, then we’ll support you.”

I smiled weakly, then picked up the postcards again, flipping through them and examining every little detail as the girls talked around me about what they were going to do in the recoupling tonight. I wasn’t listening. I didn’t care. All I wanted was to get to that firepit tonight and see Henrik standing there waiting for me, alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, comment, subscribe! I love to hear from you! ❤


	25. Stick - or Switch?

We were all packed and ready to go – the only question left was, which of the boys was coming back to the villa with us? The girls sat around the Casa Amor firepit one last time as the boys lined up in front of us, waiting for their fates to be decided.

My phone beeped, and I read the text aloud.

“’Girls, it’s time to choose. In turn, please say whether you would like to stick with the person you’re coupled up with, or switch to one of the boys in front of you. The boys in the villa will do the same. If you both stick, you will remain as a couple. If you both switch, you will stay in the villa in your new couples. If one of you switches and the other sticks, the person who stuck will be left single.’”

“Wait, what was that last part?” Lottie asked. “If one person switches, the other person is left single. Does that mean they get dumped?”

I looked at the screen again and shook my head. “It just says they’re left single. Wouldn’t they tell us if it meant being dumped? Because then more people would probably switch to stay safe.”

“Interesting,” she mused, looking at the boys in front of us. “Very interesting.”

“Just go with what your heart tells you,” Priya smiled. “It shouldn’t be about staying safe or not.”

My phone beeped again. “’Josie, you’re up first.’”

_Easiest decision in the world._

I stood and smiled at the boys in front of me.

“This decision will come as no surprise to anybody. You’ve all been so lovely these past few days, but I left a really special guy back in the villa, and right now there’s nobody I’d rather be with. I’m going to stick with Henrik.”

The girls clapped and cheered as I sat down alone. The boys nodded and shuffled their feet, waiting for the next girl to stand up.

Marisol received the next text and jumped to her feet.

“Okay, here goes,” she said with a smile. “I’ve had some ups and downs since I’ve come into the villa – mostly downs, to be honest. None of the couples I’ve tried have gone my way, and one boy that I liked has already been dumped.”

I couldn’t contain myself from giving the most giant eye-roll behind her back.

“But since coming into Casa Amor, everything has changed for me. I really didn’t think Casa Amor would be the place I found someone I truly liked – despite being the only person here who knew it meant ‘House of Love.’”

_Says who? Casa is house, Amor is love, how hard was that to figure out?_

“I guess I’m skeptical like that. When we left for Casa Amor, I was coupled up with Bobby.”

_My god, is she still going on?_

“I know how much he means to all of us, and I hate to think this might leave him single—”

_As if. Bitch, you once tried to vote him out!_

“—but if I’m not true to myself, I might never get a chance like this again. I have to follow my heart. That’s exactly why I came here in the first place. So I’m going to switch. And the boy I want to couple up with is… Graham.”

I winked at Graham as he stepped forward, and he grinned broadly, then stooped down to give Marisol a kiss as everyone else burst into applause.

“Looks like it’s my turn next,” Lottie said as she stood up. She collected herself, smoothing out the creases in her dress, then looked up at the boys. “This hasn’t been the easiest decision for me. When we left the villa, I had just coupled up with Rahim and I’m not sure where either of us expected it to go, but it’s safe to say we didn’t expect to be split up before we had a chance to find out. You’re all lovely guys, but I haven’t really connected with any of you in the way that I would have hoped, so I’m going to take a chance on the guy who took a chance on me. I’m going to stick with Rahim.”

Kassam nodded calmly in response, as if he had been expecting the news.

She took her seat next to me and I leaned over to whisper in her ear.

“Are you sure? I thought you and Kassam were getting along well.”

She gave me a thin smile. “I thought he was my type, but there’s just nothing there. I’ll take my chances, even if it means being left single. I’d rather stay true to myself than give someone false hope.”

I placed my hand over hers and gave it a light squeeze. “Then I support your decision. Hopefully it works out for you.”

Another phone chimed, and Chelsea sprang out of her seat, bouncing on her toes.

“I can honestly say this is one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make,” she started, “and I once spent five hours choosing between cream, eggshell, champagne, and vanilla.”

“Gross, what kind of cake were you making?” Hope put her hand up to her throat and pretended to gag.

“Babe, those are paint colours,” Chelsea said matter-of-factly, before turning back to the boys. “As I was saying, this is a difficult choice. I feel like I had barely any time to get to know the other boys before we were brought here, and then I got to meet a whole new set of boys. Which means I also have no idea what Gary’s going to do, so I’m just going to go with my gut and hope the universe is on my side.”

She screwed her eyes tightly shut and took a deep breath before exhaling slowly and opening her eyes. “I’m going to… stick with Gary. I’m sorry, Elijah.”

Elijah frowned. “I’m sorry, too. I wish we’d had more time, because I really enjoyed getting to know you. But I hope for your sake that Gary sticks with you – if I were in his position, I wouldn’t let you go.”

“Aww!” Chelsea’s eyes watered as she fanned her face with her hands. “You’re gonna make me cry!”

Lottie jumped up and put her arms around the smaller blonde, guiding her back to the bench while Chelsea sniffled. As they both took their seats, Priya’s phone chimed.

Before she stood up, I leaned over. “Remember, make the choice that’s right for you,” I said quietly. “Not anyone else.”

She smiled and nodded, her eyes glistening, then stood. She stared at her feet for a few seconds before finally lifting her head and speaking. “When we left for Casa Amor, I had just coupled up with a boy that I had spent most of my time in the villa wanting, but couldn’t have. Then when I finally had him, we were separated, as if some higher power didn’t want us to be together.”

Hope gave a light snort, and I glared at her.

“And then we came here, and I was forced to look inside and figure out what I really wanted.” She paused and turned to Hope. “Hope, I’m sorry it took this long to figure it out. I wish I had been able to do so earlier.”

Hope looked up sharply, a look of confusion across her face.

“And so,” Priya continued, “I’m going to switch.”

Shocked gasps rang out over the firepit as the other girls looked around at each other, eyes wide and jaws dropped.

“And the boy I want to couple up with is… Arjun.”

Arjun’s face spread into a wide smile as he walked forward and picked her up. She squealed as he spun her around, then embraced him as he set her back down. She grinned as she grabbed his hand and led him to the bench, sitting next to me as I clapped and smiled up at them.

“Thank you,” she mouthed at me, and I nodded happily.

“Your turn, babes!” Chelsea said to Hope as the latter’s phone beeped.

Hope rolled her eyes. “It’s not really a surprise, is it? I was the only girl left.” She stood, throwing a glance at Priya before looking back at the boys. “This recoupling has thrown me for a bit of a loop, but I know what I have to do. My whole time in the villa I’ve made it no secret that there’s only been one boy for me, and when he moved on, I was ready to do the same.”

She paused, took a deep breath, and continued. “But now things have apparently changed, and I’ve been given a second chance. So I’m going to stick with Jakub and hope for the best.”

“You what?” Carl’s face reddened as he gazed at her with furrowed brows, crossing his arms over his chest. “That’s not what you said to me this morning.”

She straightened her back and lifted her chin. “The situation’s changed, babe. I didn’t realize Noah would be left single.”

“You didn’t care so much about Noah when you were sucking me off!”

There were more gasps and slackened jaws as we took in his revelation.

_Holy shit, this is amazing._

“Hun, don’t flatter yourself. You were only ever a bit of fun.”

Carl growled as he lunged forward, and Elijah and Andrew quickly grabbed onto his arms, holding him back as he struggled against them.

“Calm down, mate!”

Hope just smirked as she watched him.

He finally stopped struggling, glaring at her as he spit at her feet. “Fucking bitch.” He pushed the other boys’ hands away, then turned and stalked back into the villa.

The sudden silence was interrupted by another text. Kassam pulled his phone out of his pocket, nodding as he read the screen silently.

“What’s it say, mate?” Elijah asked, trying to peer over Kassam’s shoulder.

Kassam finally looked up. “It says the single boys have to say their goodbyes and leave the villa.”

The rest of us got up from the bench and gathered around the remaining boys, giving them hugs and wishing them well. Finally they left, and we sat around the firepit in silence, waiting for further instructions.

_DING!_

The familiar sound rang through the air, and Lottie quickly pulled out her phone.

“’Girls, it is now time to head to the Jeeps and return to the main villa. Once you have arrived, the boys’ recoupling will start. You will each be notified by text when it is your turn to walk out of the villa towards the firepit to see whether your boy has chosen to stick or switch. If your boy chose to switch and you didn’t, you will be single. If you chose to switch and he didn’t, he will be single. If you both chose to stick, you will remain in your couple. Good luck.”

_Finally!_

*********

We arrived back at the villa and were ushered into the bedroom to wait while the boys started their recoupling. I paced the room nervously, hoping I wouldn’t have to wait too long.

Hope was the first to receive a text. “Good luck, girls,” she smiled at us, then opened the exterior door and disappeared outside.

“This is so nerve-wracking!” Chelsea exclaimed as she dropped onto one of the beds. “Who do you think will switch?”

“Probably Bobby,” Marisol said, gripping Graham’s hand as she smiled up at him. “Maybe Jakub, Rahim, or Gary. Maybe all of them.”

“All of them?” Chelsea’s hands flew to her face as she gasped. “Where would we all sleep?”

“I’m sure they’d find beds for everyone,” Priya reassured her. “Besides, I don’t think they’ll all switch. One or two of them will, like we did. The rest will stay loyal.”

I agreed, and then we were interrupted by another text. This time it was Marisol’s, and she quickly pulled Graham towards the door to go outside.

“See you on the other side!” she smiled as they exited and closed the door behind them.

_Bobby better have switched. I don’t want him being left single._

Soon Chelsea and Lottie received their texts, and I was left alone with Priya and Arjun.

“Why are we the last ones?” I wondered aloud as I walked up and down the room. I had been alternating between sitting and standing, but couldn’t sit still and was now pacing again.

“Maximum drama, I suppose,” Priya said, as she and Arjun lounged on one of the beds. “Us because of the Noah and Hope situation, you because you were the couple together the longest.”

“It’ll be worth the wait,” Arjun smiled at me. “You stuck with him, he’ll stick with you, and your reunion will be must-see telly.”

“Ugh, I don’t care about the TV show, I just want to go out there and get my man back!”

The sound of an incoming text filled the room, and I looked over at Priya as she unlocked her phone and read the screen.

“That’s us,” she said, throwing her legs over the side of the bed and getting to her feet. She walked over to me and wrapped her arms around me as I clung to her. “See you soon, babe. It’s not long now.”

“I hope Noah isn’t too hurt that you switched,” I replied as we separated.

She gave me a warm smile in response, then turned to Arjun and extended her hand. “C’mon, let’s go.”

He took the offered hand and they walked together to the door, each giving me encouraging smiles as they left me alone.

_Last. Why did I have to be last?_

I sat on the edge of the bed Henrik and I had shared before Casa Amor, the last place I had seen him. I smiled at the memory as butterflies filled my stomach. My leg jiggled nervously as I stared at my phone, willing it to notify me that it was time. The seconds felt like minutes. The minutes felt like hours.

_Why is this taking forever? Is Noah upset? Is Hope sticking her nose into things?_

_Has Henrik made his speech yet? How long does it really take to say, ‘I’m sticking with Josie’?_

I continued to stare, unblinking, at the phone. When it finally buzzed in my sweaty hand, I jumped, fumbling the device as it tumbled onto the floor. I picked it up, shoved it into the pocket of my black jumpsuit, and brushed my hands against the fabric. Taking a deep breath, I stepped to the door and turned the handle. The door swung open and I was met with a breath of fresh air as I passed through the doorway and turned down the pathway toward the firepit. I couldn’t see anything yet, thanks to the garden trellis along the pathway which blocked the view, but I craned my neck anyway in an attempt to catch a glimpse through the cracks.

My legs continued moving me forward, and soon I could see the glimmer of the flames in the firepit through the trellis. A few steps more, and I could see figures sitting along the circular bench. Another step, and I was past the trellis and into the open, and he was there, standing before the firepit with his long blond hair flowing over his shoulders, looking in my direction.

And he wasn’t alone. Beside him was the brunette from the postcard, standing tall in a shimmery gold dress and clutching his hand as she leaned into him to whisper in his ear.

He had switched. He had actually switched.

_Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck._

I stopped short and closed my eyes, grasping onto the edge of the trellis to keep myself from falling as my knees buckled. I prayed the image before me was a mirage and it would disappear when I re-opened my eyes. No such luck. He stood there, linking hands with the brunette from the photos.

My legs were numb, but I willed myself to move forward, blinking the hot moisture from my eyes as they kept blurring, keeping them peeled to the ground to prevent myself from tripping.

_Oh, god. This is brutal._

It seemed to take forever to walk along the deck and down the steps. The only thing I could feel was all the eyes on me as I walked alone, too afraid to look up and see the pitying faces of the other islanders.

Finally I reached the firepit area and stopped, still looking down at the ground.

_Stay composed. Don’t get all emotional._

I took a deep breath and lifted my head, unable to hide the glimmer of tears in my eyes as I stared across at Henrik.

“Hi, Josie.” His voice cracked, and his cheek twitched as he looked at me sheepishly. “This is Blake.”

My eyes flickered over to the woman standing next to him, looking her up and down briefly before returning my gaze to Henrik.

“What the hell, Henrik?” My voice shook as I spoke, and I blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over onto my cheeks.

He flinched, as if he had been slapped.

“I—I really don’t know what to say.”

I stared at him incredulously and narrowed my eyes as I watched the other woman squeeze Henrik’s hand.

“You don’t know what to say? You’ve made me look like a mug, having to come in by myself and expecting you to be standing there alone, waiting for me.”

Blake cleared her throat, released Henrik’s hand, and walked over to me. I stood stiffly while she air-kissed both of my cheeks.

“I’m sorry we’re meeting like this,” her voice was sickly sweet, oozing false sincerity. “I’d never choose to go behind someone’s back. In any other situation I would have come and talked to you first, but obviously I couldn’t do that. I’m sure you understand.”

“Oh, I understand _that_ ,” I said coldly. “What I don’t understand is why you had to go after my man in the first place.”

She flipped her hair over her shoulder and placed her hand on her hip as she smirked. “We just had an undeniable connection. I’m not like you, one of those girls who has to try all the time to look good,” she lowered her gaze down my body, then back up at my face, “and that’s not Henrik’s type, either. I know you’ve been trying so hard this whole time, but all I did was be myself.”

I couldn’t help the short laugh that escaped my lips as I shook my head in disbelief. “You think I’ve been trying hard? You know what, I’m glad you’re such a bitch, because it means I don’t have to pretend to be friendly.”

She scoffed. “As if you would bother anyway.”

“Don’t be like this, Josie,” Henrik stepped up, placing a hand on Blake’s back.

I glared at him, feeling the anger swelling within me. “Why not, Henrik? A few nights ago you fucked me right there,” I pointed at the daybeds, “and now you’re fucking me over. And for what?” I looked over at Blake in derision. “Some knockoff Barbie doll?”

“How dare you!” she spat, and Henrik grabbed her hand to draw her away as movement blurred out of the corners of my eyes.

“You think you don’t have to try hard?” I took a step forward. “Then how do you explain the fake tits and lip fillers? Or the foundation caked on so thick I almost mistook you for one of Bobby’s cupcakes?”

I could feel hands on me, pulling me backwards.

“Oh, wait, my mistake – _Bobby’s_ cupcakes actually look _good!”_

I turned away and ran into a solid chest, and a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around me. I didn’t even think about who it was, I just clung to him desperately as the tears that had been pooling up finally spilled over, moistening the shirt that I had buried my face into. Soothing hands gently stroked my hair and back, as Bobby’s familiar vanilla scent washed over me and I clutched him tighter.

“Come over here, lass,” he said softly, and I released him from my tight grasp and allowed him to lead me over to the bench. I rested my head on his shoulder as he held me close, and I was only vaguely aware of someone reading out a text.

There was movement around us as the others stood up and mingled with the new arrivals. After a few minutes, I finally raised my head, sniffling and wiping my eyes.

“Oh shit, Bobby, your shirt! The one time you wear plain white, and I ruined it.”

He looked down at the mascara splotches on his button-down shirt and shrugged. “It’s just a shirt. How are you feeling?”

“How could he do this to me, Bobby? How could he couple up with _her?”_

He blew the air out of his cheeks as he took hold of my hand. “I don’t know. He definitely wasn’t thinking with his head. Or his heart, really. I thought he really liked you, so she must’ve said something that messed with his head. I’m sorry, Josie.”

“Fucking bitch.”

I laid my head on his shoulder, staring into the flames of the firepit as he lazily traced patterns on my hand with his thumb.

“Oi, Bobby!” Gary yelled from the kitchen area. “The girls are leaving, you gonna say goodbye or what?”

“Who?” I asked in confusion. “Who’s leaving?

“The girls that didn’t get picked,” Bobby replied. “I should probably see them off.”

“Oh. Oh, right. Wait a sec—” I looked around the lawn, looking for the girl that had been in the photos on Bobby’s postcard. “Where’s your girl?”

“What girl?” He stood, pulled me to my feet, and draped his arm over my shoulders.

“The one you coupled up with. You switched, didn’t you?”

“Nope.”

“No?” I stopped walking, and he stopped and looked back at me as I stared at him. “But you had to know Marisol would switch. I hoped you would find someone.”

He shrugged, looking out over the lawn instead of meeting my eyes. “Just didn’t feel right, I guess.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“S’okay, I’m not too bothered by it. I wasn’t about to try to force a connection or give a girl false hope. And frankly, I didn’t think any of them were genuine anyway.”

I nodded in understanding and looped my arm around his waist as we walked towards the villa. As we neared the kitchen, Priya and Lottie came out of the villa, chatting. They quieted as they saw me and came towards us.

“Josie, I’m so sorry!” Priya held out her arms and I dropped my arm from around Bobby’s waist as I moved into her embrace. “I was shocked when I heard him say he was switching.”

I caught Bobby’s eye over Priya’s shoulder and motioned that it was okay for him to go say goodbye to the girls that were leaving. He gave me one last small smile before disappearing into the villa, and I allowed Priya and Lottie to lead me towards the daybeds.

“How are you feeling?” Lottie asked as we dropped onto the cool sheets.

“Like shit,” I said honestly. I felt like I had been run over by a freight train.

“I can’t believe Henrik of all people switched,” Priya shook her head in wonder. “I thought he liked you a lot.”

“Especially for that tramp,” Lottie added. “I couldn’t believe what she said to you.”

I sighed as I leaned back among the pillows. “I don’t even know what to say. I feel like everything I thought I knew has been ripped to shreds.”

“You need to talk to him.”

“I know. I will. I’m just not sure when I’ll be ready.” I fell silent and picked up a cushion, hugging it to my chest. “What did I miss with the rest of the recoupling? I was so caught up with Henrik that I didn’t even think to look around at everyone else.”

“Well,” Lottie sat up, ready to dish the gossip. “Rahim switched on me, so I’m single.”

“I’m sorry, Lozza.”

She waved her hand dismissively. “I shouldn’t be surprised, I would be too much for him anyway. I asked the girl if he had shown her how to handle his wood yet, and she got upset. I was just joking!”

A small smile crept onto my face. “That’s funny.”

“Right? I was just trying to have a laugh and show her there were no hard feelings, and she got all offended.”

“Maybe she feels threatened by you.”

“Phf, by me?” Lottie laughed. “I had never shown any interest in Rahim until he picked me.”

“Maybe she thinks he likes you,” Priya suggested.

“Unlikely,” she shrugged.

“So what else happened?” I asked. “Did anyone else switch? Who stayed loyal?”

“The rest all stayed loyal,” Lottie replied. “Noah, Gary, Bobby, even Jakub.”

I reached out and placed a hand on Priya’s shoulder. “Was Noah upset? What was it like walking in and seeing him alone?”

“Ugh, it was brutal,” she said, burying her face in her hands. “I could barely look at him, I felt so bad.”

“Noah was Noah,” Lottie added. “He just stood there looking stoic, barely reacting. I don’t think he was surprised.”

Loud laughter sounded from the villa as the door opened and the other islanders spilled out. Bobby’s eyes roved over the lawn as he, Gary, and Rahim separated themselves from the group. They landed on me and he gave me a reassuring smile that warmed my insides. I watched as the boys headed to the beanbags, then I planted my feet on the floor and stood up.

“I’m gonna go say hi to the guys,” I said. Lottie and Priya stood up as well and headed towards the group in the kitchen while I walked down the steps towards the lawn.

The boys’ faces lit up as they saw me approaching.

“Alright, stranger?” Gary smiled.

Rahim gave me an up-nod. “Long time, no see.”

Bobby rolled his eyes as he jumped up and pulled me into another hug.

“Look at these boys trying to play it cool,” he said as we separated, then turned to the guys still sitting on the ground. “Get up, ye gits, aren’t you going to say hello properly?”

“Sorry, love,” Gary grinned as he got up and put his arms around me. “It’s good to have you back.”

He released me and Rahim took his turn.

“It feels like so much has happened since you all went away,” he said as Bobby brought another beanbag over for me to sit on.

“You can say that again,” Gary chuckled softly. “Remember that prank we played?”

Rahim slapped his thigh and laughed, while Bobby bit his lower lip, eyes sparkling.

Gary turned to me to fill me in. “So, Bobby was in the shower one day, right? And since he loves playing pranks so much, we figured we’d get him back.”

“So we stole his clothes!”

“And his towel, and hid all the other towels in the villa. So there’s Bobby coming out of the shower, no towels to dry himself off with, no clothes – so what does he do?”

I glanced over at Bobby, who just sat there with a wide grin on his face.

“He goes into the bedroom and gets under the covers of Henrik’s bed, getting the sheets and everything all wet to dry himself off. Then he walks out into the kitchen, naked as the day he was born, as if he hasn’t got a care in the world.”

“And the girls were in the kitchen, so they all screamed.”

“So he just took his apron out of the drawer and wore that for the rest of the day, until we finally gave his clothes back. Stupid asshole, you try to prank him and he doesn’t even care.”

“And then at night Henrik and Blake got into the bed and the sheets were still damp!” Rahim laughed.

Gary grinned. “She was so pissed off.”

The smile on my face disappeared at the mention of Henrik and Blake sharing a bed, and I stared down at my hands.

“Aw, shit, Josie, I’m sorry,” Rahim said.

There was a moment of silence as the guys awkwardly looked at each other, unsure what to say.

“It’s okay, Rahim,” I said softly, giving him a sad smile. I glanced over towards the group of islanders chatting in the kitchen. “I should probably find him and have a chat.”

“Go easy on him, Josie,” Bobby said softly as I stood up.

“That’ll depend on what he has to say for himself.”

I wandered towards the kitchen, scanning the group there for Henrik. He wasn’t among them, but an unfamiliar redhead was laughing with Noah and Chelsea.

_That must be the girl Rahim coupled up with._

I walked on past, figuring I would introduce myself to her the following day. I entered the villa and walked through the empty bedroom, then headed upstairs. I approached the roof terrace and pushed open the door, stopping short at the sight of Blake sitting on Henrik’s lap.

She jumped at the sound of the door – or he pushed her off him, I wasn’t sure – and she turned to look at me as I stood glaring at her.

“Oh, hello, Josie,” she smirked.

“Can I speak with Henrik privately?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm despite the fire raging inside me.

“Well, since you asked so nicely, I suppose I could spare him for a few minutes.”

“You can _spare_ him?” I choked. “He’s not some possession that you can lend out when you’re not using him.”

She let out a smug, humourless laugh as she walked past me through the doorway. “Oh, Josie. Jealousy doesn’t suit you.” She turned to Henrik and blew him a kiss. “Come find me when you’re done, hun.”

_Fuck off, bitch._

My eyes shot daggers at her back as she walked away, her hips swaying. I closed the terrace door behind her, flipping the lock for good measure before turning to Henrik. His cheeks were flushed as he examined his fingernails.

“Seriously, what the fuck, Henrik?” I leaned against the door and crossed my arms as I glared at him.

He sighed and rested his elbows on his knees, raking his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry, Josie.”

“What the hell were you thinking?”

He pulled his hands out of his hair and rested his chin on them, keeping his eyes on the ground.

“Tell me the truth,” he said. “Did you expect me to switch?”

I pushed myself off the door and paced the length of the terrace. “The thought did cross my mind, but I dismissed it. I trusted you. I trusted _us.”_

“The thing is… I kinda thought you had recoupled too.” He finally looked up, a pained expression in his eyes. “We each got these postcards…”

I rolled my eyes with a snort as I stopped walking and stood in front of him. “Let me guess – I was snogging someone?”

“Yeah… and I thought—”

“Henrik, I got a postcard of you snogging that basic Made in Chelsea fucking reject bitch, and you looked like you were _enjoying_ it. And I was really upset at first, but then I realized it was probably from a challenge, just like mine was. They were clearly trying to test us, and I guess you failed.”

He leaned back against the bench, biting his lip as his knee jiggled. “It wasn’t just the postcard, though.”

_Huh? What else could there possibly be?_

I sat on the bench opposite and waited for him to continue.

He licked his lips and fidgeted with his hands, not meeting my eyes as he considered his words. “I guess I just always assumed you weren’t as into me as I was into you. I mean, you had something with Gary, and then with Lucas. I was never your first choice.”

“What does that have to do with anything? I was happy with you.”

“Were you?” He finally lifted his eyes, meeting mine with an accusatory glare. “Or were you just happy with my dick?”

My jaw dropped as I stared at him incredulously. “Excuse me?” My voice shook as the words came out just above a whisper.

“Blake told me what you said in the Beach Hut after our first time together. Something about being horny from hanging out all day with sexy people wearing nothing but swimsuits?”

“What the fuck? I might’ve said something along those lines, but that doesn’t mean I would sleep with just anyone. I was annoyed that they were asking questions about us, I just said some random shit.”

“Well, you sure moved on quickly from Lucas and Gary to me, didn’t you? She said you’d do the same thing again. She said you were only with me because there wasn’t anyone else you liked better.”

“I’m hearing a fucking lot about what Blake said, and not a lot about what _you_ thought. I told you the day we coupled up that I wanted to give us a chance. I broke things off with Gary because I was sick of constantly being in love triangles. I developed _feelings_ for you, Henrik! I was thinking about a future outside of the villa! While you were listening to that witch spin lies about me, I was sharing a bed with Priya and worrying about what you were doing!”

I stood up and stumbled over to the door, fumbling with the lock in my rage.

“Josie, wait!”

I threw up my hands in exasperation and spun around to face him. “What—”

The next thing I knew his mouth was on mine, shutting me up as he leaned into me, pressing me against the door with his body. For a moment I forgot my anger as my passion was channeled into kissing him back, our lips and tongues moving desperately against each other. His hands trailed down my sides until they reached my hips, and he pulled me closer as my arms wrapped around his shoulders. I moaned into his mouth as I felt him harden against me, and my body tingled as it responded to his touch.

_I missed him so much._

The saltiness on his lips made me suddenly aware of the tears streaking down my face, and I forced myself to push him away. Breathless and wide-eyed, I stared at him.

“I’m sorry, Josie.”

My face hardened. “If you had coupled up with someone that was your type, that you legitimately saw a future with, then I would understand. But you and I both know that there’s no way Blake would be up for your lifestyle, and you couldn’t possibly be with someone who you couldn’t take on your adventures. And that’s what hurts the most,” I choked, hot tears burning my eyes. “You had me, Henrik. I was yours for as long as we could make it work. But you traded me in for some cheap slag that poisoned you against me, you chose to listen to her lies and you chose to _couple up_ with her. You could’ve stayed true to yourself and taken the risk, but you didn’t. And I’m not sure I can forgive you for that.”

“Josie, please—”

“No, Henrik. Don’t beg.”

_If you fucking beg, I’ll just take you back._

He watched me silently as I turned my attention back to the door, and this time the lock opened with ease. I threw open the door and rushed through it, then ran across the dressing room and down the hallway to the Beach Hut. I burst through the door and slammed it behind me before dropping onto the chair and releasing all the force of my emotions.

I sat there for over an hour, alternating between sobbing, throwing cushions around, and sitting against the wall staring blankly at the floor. Occasionally my phone would beep as one of the other islanders texted to ask if I was okay. I ignored them all, needing to take the time to process everything that had been said.

My phone buzzed again, and I looked at it through blurry eyes. I blinked a few times, and the screen finally came into focus.

 **Priya:** ‘We’re just getting ready for bed. Don’t spend all night in there, or Lottie will come after you with her homemade muscle ointment! xoxo’

I smiled at that thought. I knew she was right, and I couldn’t hide in the Beach Hut forever. I waited a few more minutes, hoping to avoid The Slag, as I was mentally referring to Blake, then finally got up. I quickly washed off my makeup – what was left of it, at least – and threw on pyjamas, then headed downstairs to the bedroom.

“Get up, Bobby,” I heard Lottie saying. “You’re not taking a whole bed to yourself.”

“It’s so nice to have you girls back.”

I kept my eyes low as I entered the bedroom, barely listening to the conversations going on around me as I walked towards my bed. Halfway across the room I finally looked up, only to stop short.

_Fuck._

I had forgotten that my bed was no longer my bed. Henrik was sitting up against the headboard of the bed we had shared, gazing at me with a sad look in his eyes. Next to him sat Blake, her lips twisted up into a smug smile as she watched me.

I turned around, not knowing where to go, but not wanting her to have the satisfaction of seeing the tears welling up in my eyes. With all the crying I had done so far this evening, the tears should have been spent.

“Josie.”

I lifted my eyes to see Bobby looking at me with concern. He beckoned me over and my feet shuffled towards him automatically. As I reached the side of his bed, he lifted the duvet.

“C’mere.”

I gratefully sank onto the mattress and reached for him as he pulled the duvet over me. I buried my face into his chest and wrapped my arm around him, feeling his lips brush against the top of my head as he held me close.

The bedroom lights turned off, and the room quieted. Soon the steady rise and fall of Bobby’s chest and the weight of his arm around me calmed me down, and the sound of his breathing lulled me to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To the Bobby stans... you're welcome for that ending. 
> 
> To the Henrik stans... I'M SORRY. This chapter honestly broke my heart. From the beginning it was always in the plans to have Henrik switch (the one time I actually stick to canon, right?? 😆), but I didn't realize how much it would hurt.
> 
> ❤ you all


	26. A Public Vote

Movement beside me on the bed woke me up. I blinked at the bright lights of the bedroom, and the sound of voices began to register in my consciousness.

“Hey, where’s Marisol?”

“Oh! There’s so many of us now, I didn’t even notice she wasn’t here.”

“She must have decided to get a head start on the day-seizing.”

“That’s my girl.”

I shut my eyes tight against the light and waited for the noise to die down as the other islanders got up from their beds and wandered off to get ready for the day.

The room fell silent, and as I rolled over with a sigh I was surprised to find that I wasn’t alone.

“Bobby?” I looked up to see him sitting up against the headboard, staring down at me with a gentle expression in his eyes.

“Morning, Josie,” he said softly, reaching to brush a strand of hair away from my forehead. “I made you a cuppa, if you want it.”

I pulled myself up to sit next to him, and after handing me the still-steaming mug of tea, he draped his arm over my shoulders. I settled into the crook of his body, craving the comfort that I always found in him.

“How are you feeling?” he asked as he rested his head on mine. “If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s cool.”

I lifted the mug to my lips and took a sip, feeling the warmth of the tea flow through me as I swallowed. It was the perfect strength, the perfect sweetness. Making a cup of tea was such a small gesture, but Bobby somehow managed to make it perfect every single time.

“I just don’t even know what to think, to be honest. Did I not make it clear that I liked him? I fucking slept with him, B.”

Bobby’s grip tightened around my shoulders as his body stiffened.

“I wish I knew what to tell you, lass. I don’t know what the bloody eejit was thinking.”

“Did you know he was going to switch?”

“If I did, I would’ve set him straight. I knew he was talking to Blake, but I didn’t realize he was dumb enough to pick her over you. He didn’t tell us.”

“Apparently she got in his head, told him I wasn’t that into him and would dump him.”

He clicked his tongue and shook his head. “What a load of bollocks. She’s so fake, I can’t believe he couldn’t see right through her. All the girls were like that, desperate to get one of us to notice them, but she was the worst.”

“And it just had to be Henrik that fell for it. _Ugh!_ I feel so stupid now.”

_Fucking bitch._

“Don’t feel stupid,” he said, giving me a comforting squeeze as I drank from the tea. “You did the right thing, he’s the one that looks dumb. He downgraded, big time.”

_He may have downgraded, but why am I the one that feels like shit?_

I chose not to respond, instead finishing the tea and placing the mug on the side table. I returned to my place under his arm and burrowed into him, resting my head on his chest and pulling the duvet up around my shoulders.

We sat there for a few minutes, his steady breathing the only thing breaking the silence in the otherwise quiet room.

My eyelids became heavy, and I was fighting off sleep when Bobby’s finger tapped my nose.

“Boop.”

My eyes flew open as I smiled up at him. I stretched with a yawn, then sat up, not quite ready to get up, but not wanting to risk falling asleep if I stayed close to him. He ran his hand down my arm, picking up my hand and giving it a squeeze.

“Hey,” he said, causing me to lift my eyes to his. “I’m ready to cheer you up, whenever you need it. Today, tomorrow, just say the word, I’m here for you.”

My breath caught in my throat, and I leaned over to give him a hug.

“Thanks, B. I don’t deserve you.”

I pulled away, and he lifted his hands to cup my face, bringing it close to his as he looked at me earnestly.

“That’s absolutely not true, and don’t ever let anyone make you think differently.”

He pulled my face towards him and pressed his lips gently to my forehead, then he dropped his hands and threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood up.

“You up for breakfast?”

“Only if you’re cooking.”

“Go get dressed then, it’ll be ready by the time you’re down.”

*********

I slid off my barstool and picked up Bobby’s empty breakfast plate along with my own.

“Hey! What are you doing?”

I carried the dishes to the sink and turned on the tap.

“You cooked, I’ll do the washing up.”

“I thought I would spoil you today.”

I chuckled softly and smiled at him. “That’s sweet, but not necessary. Unless by ‘spoil me’ you mean ‘bake me more of your delicious cookies,’ because I won’t turn those down.”

“Now I think you’re just using me to satisfy your sweet tooth.”

“Shit, you’re onto me!”

Our laughter was cut short by the sound of my phone notifying me of an incoming text.

_Fuck, what now?_

I scanned the words of the text and groaned.

“What is it? What’s it say?”

“It says, ’Josie and Blake, it’s time to head out and talk things through. Please get ready to leave the villa. #storminateacup #comparenotes’”

Bobby grimaced as he brought his water bottle to his lips and took a sip before speaking. “Brutal.”

“I mean, anything but that. Anything. How am I supposed to sit across from that fake bitch and resist the urge to tear her extensions out?”

He laughed as he came around the counter and hugged me from behind. “Just try not to let her get to you, alright? You’re better than her. Remember that.”

“Thanks, B.” I looked down at our breakfast dishes sitting in the sink and grinned. “Guess you’re doing the washing up after all!”

He playfully tried to smack me as I moved away out of his grasp, giggling.

“You’re so spoiled!”

I stuck my tongue out at him as I backed away towards the villa.

“Do me a favour and let Blake know while I go get ready? Thanks, love you, bye!”

Without waiting for a response, I turned and ran into the villa and upstairs to the dressing room.

_So The Slag thinks I try too hard? I’m gonna show that bitch what effortless looks like._

I pulled on a distressed denim miniskirt and an airy white blouse, which I tied into a knot above my navel. I quickly brushed my hair and weaved it into a loose braid over my shoulder, then applied a quick coat of mascara and lip gloss.

I slipped my feet into a pair of heeled sandals which made my legs look longer, and took in my appearance in the full-length mirror.

_I think I look hot, thank you very much._

In the reflection of the mirror I saw Blake walk into the room and give me the onceover with a sneer. I smirked as I whirled around and walked past her on my way to the door.

“Don’t keep me waiting too long,” I said.

“Oh, fuck right off.”

I snickered as I made my way down the hallway towards the Beach Hut. I spent some time in there answering questions and talking through what had happened the previous night while I waited for Blake. By the time I was done, she was just exiting the dressing room with about a hundred new layers of makeup on and a sheer black dress over her aqua bikini.

We descended the stairs in silence and walked through the front door towards a waiting Jeep. I snagged the front seat, preferring to sit in awkward silence with a producer than in the backseat with Blake.

We were taken to an old mill, where a table had been set up in a courtyard for us. We each took a seat and poured ourselves a glass of wine, then looked around at our surroundings, neither of us sure what to say to the other.

“Well, this is awkward,” Blake finally broke the silence.

I took a sip of my wine to delay having to answer. “Is it? I was kind of enjoying the silence.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re so childish. You could at least pretend to be civil.”

“I’m not childish, babe,” I smirked, “just petty.”

“Whatever. I just wanted to say there are no hard feelings on my part for last night. I’m sure it must have been _awful_ for you to come in like that and see Henrik and I together, so I understand that you might have said things you now regret.”

She gave me the fakest smile I had ever seen, matching the sincerity in her voice.

I raised an eyebrow and gave her my sweetest smile. “Actually, I don’t regret anything I said last night.”

Her smile temporarily froze on her face, and as she recovered she cleared her throat. “Well, anyway, I want you to know that I didn’t come into the villa with the intention of getting between you and Henrik. I was actually looking at Bobby right away, but then I was getting along so well with Henrik—”

“Don’t you mean, you were after Bobby because you assumed he would be an easy target as someone that would couple up with you? But he saw right through you, so you decided to play on Henrik’s insecurities about our couple instead and make him think I wasn’t that into him and that I would probably switch?”

Her fake smile twisted on her face and she glared at me.

_Finally, a reaction! I was beginning to think the botox made it impossible for her face to move._

“That’s not true at all!” she scoffed. “I’m lucky to have found someone like him, and he said he likes how high energy I am.”

I rolled my eyes as I picked up my wine glass to take a sip. “Whatever.”

There was an awkward pause, and she sat with her back straight, staring at me as if she was waiting to have to defend herself from another of my barbs. I was content just to sip my wine and stare at the ivy crawling up the side of the old buildings around us and pretend she didn’t exist.

Eventually the silence got to her and her fake smile and sickly sweet voice returned. “Actually, Josie, I’m glad we’re here alone. I was wondering if you might have any advice for me. You know, with Henrik. Since you were the last one coupled up with him.”

I stared at her in disbelief.

_Is she insane?_

I leaned forward over the table. “My advice? Get your claws out of him. He’s too good for you.”

She laughed, the sound grating on my ears. “And what, you don’t think he’s too good for you? That’s rich. You’re the one that’s always causing drama, and you know that’s not his type. He’s more into chill girls.”

“What, like you?” I shook my head as I sat back in my chair with a smirk. “What are you going to do when he asks you to go camping with him? Or climbing? What are you gonna do when you break a nail? You’re fooling yourself if you think you’re his type. In fact, I doubt he’s your type either, you just found his weakness and took advantage of it to get yourself into the villa. What is it you're looking for? Endorsements? Your 15 minutes of fame? Because you sure as hell aren’t winning the money.”

“What are you going to do, sabotage us like you wanted to do to Hope and Noah?”

“I don’t need to do a thing,” I smiled, folding my arms over my chest. “You already did it for me.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Manipulating someone as sweet and kind as Henrik? Yeah, that’s really going to get you in the public's good books, Blake. All I have to do is wait for them to vote you out.”

She glared silently at me, then flipped her hair over her shoulder as she straightened.

“Whatever, Josie. You can say what you like, but don’t fool yourself into thinking the public will have any sympathy for you after all the drama you’ve caused. You’re not very well-liked.”

“Frankly, Blake, I don’t really give a fuck.”

I threw back the last of my wine and slammed the glass down on the table before pushing my chair back and rising to my feet. I spun on my heel and strutted towards the Jeep.

“Are we done here?” I asked a cameraman as I brushed past him. “Because I’m finished with this nonsense.”

I pulled open the Jeep door and stepped into the vehicle as the production crew rushed to clean up the set. Blake followed behind me and got into the backseat, and soon we were on our way back to the villa.

*********

“She’s just jealous, babe. Don’t let her get to you.”

“But what if she’s right?”

“Who cares? You’ve made mistakes, but you’ve owned up to them and learned from them.”

After returning from my ‘date’ with Blake, I had given the other girls a general run-down of what had been said, and now I was lounging on one of the daybeds with Priya and Arjun.

“If I could just interject, here,” Arjun spoke up, “I really don’t think the public hates you. For one thing, you’re quality entertainment—”

“Oh, gee, thanks,” I rolled my eyes.

“Secondly,” he held up two fingers, “you didn’t have to stay loyal to Henrik in Casa Amor, but you did. I know I really respected that, and the other guys did as well.”

“So, just two things? That really makes me feel better.”

“All I’m saying is, don’t let your earlier mistakes drag you down. You’ve shown that there’s more to you than the girl that burned down the villa in the first few weeks. Blake’s the one that looks bad, not you.”

“Besides,” Priya added, “since when does the Josie I know care what the public thinks of her? I know you’re not here for the money. If you were, you would’ve done things a lot differently.”

I sighed as I sank into the cushions on the bed. “Maybe I should just leave.”

“What?” she gasped.

“Maybe I should pack up and go home. Nothing ever goes right for me, and just when I thought I found someone good, he hurt me worse than anyone. How can I stay in here and watch him crack on with her?”

“Don’t you dare go home, Josie! What would I do without my bestie?” Priya moved next to me and cuddled into my side, wrapping an arm around me.

“You should stay,” Arjun agreed. “Leaving now just means Blake wins. Don’t give her the satisfaction.”

“You’re a fighter, not a quitter,” Priya said. “I don’t want to hear anymore about you leaving, not until you’re voted out.”

I smiled warmly, grateful for the friendship I had with Priya and the one I was quickly developing with Arjun. “Thanks, guys… I won’t do anything rash, but I’m also not making any promises. Let’s just see how things—”

“TEXT!”

“—go.” I looked around to find the source of the interruption. Graham was in the kitchen with a few of the others, waving his phone over his head and looking around to ensure he had everyone’s attention.

“’Islanders, in today’s challenge it’s time to find out who is the muggiest mug in the villa #muggedoff #mugshot’”

I groaned inwardly.

_This is going to cause drama…_

*********

On the challenge stage was an enormous mug filled with cold tea, an array of regular-sized mugs on a table, and a couple of benches for us to sit on. Lottie and Noah were selected to host and would read out a quote that was said by one of the islanders. Whoever the quote was about would then fill up a mug with tea and throw the tea in the face of the islander they thought said it.

“Worried?” Bobby asked as he took a seat next to me at the end of the one of the benches. “I’m finally going to find out all the nasty things you’ve said about me behind my back.”

I laughed as I looped an arm around his waist and rested my head on his shoulder. “Honestly, I feel like I’ve said worse things to people’s faces than behind their backs. Now we can see who’s being two-faced, though.”

He chuckled as he brought his arm up to drape it over my shoulders. He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, “You say that like we don’t already know.”

“Okay islanders,” Lottie called out, holding a word bubble-shaped board in her hands. “Let’s get started. The first quote is about… Chelsea!”

Chelsea jumped up off the bench with a surprised squeal. “I get to start? Amazeballs!”

“Okay Chelsea, you have to figure out who said this about you, and dump tea on them… ‘She’s a bit of me, mate. A bit of me.’”

Chelsea’s eyes sparkled as she picked up a mug and dipped it into the tea, then wandered down the line of islanders before stopping in front of Gary. She giggled as he squinted his eyes and shut his mouth tight in anticipation, and she threw the tea in his face.

“Thank goodness that stuff is cold,” he groaned, wiping the liquid off with his hand.

“And that was…” Lottie ripped a sticker off the back of the board, “correct!”

“Yay! That’s so sweet!” Chelsea beamed as she took her seat beside Gary and planted a kiss on his cheek.

The first few quotes were surprisingly nice. They had even dug up quite a few quotes from the earlier days in the villa when we were all on friendly terms, including me saying I wouldn’t kick Priya out of bed the night she first arrived.

As the challenge continued, however, the quotes started getting nastier and juicier.

“Rating himself a 9.5 out of 10, that’s excessive. He’s a 3, pushing it with sunglasses.”

Jakub grumbled as the quote about him was read. He scooped up a mugful of tea, then tossed it in Priya’s face as she sputtered.

“And that is incorrect!” Lottie pulled back the sticker, revealing that she was the one that had said it. “Sorry, Jakub!”

Noah picked up the next board, and Marisol stood up as he read it.

“She’s your ticket into the main villa. Once you’re there, you crack on with whoever you like.”

Marisol gasped as she looked over at Graham with wide eyes and her hands over her mouth.

“Are you fucking serious? What the hell, Graham?”

“I’m sorry, Mar! It was the first day, before I got to know you!”

“You’re making me look like a total mug!”

He looked around sheepishly at the others. “Can we talk about this later? In private?”

She grunted as she spun on her heels and grabbed two mugs from the table. Filling them both with tea, she walked straight over to Graham and sloshed the first one in his face.

“That’s for mugging me off!”

She took a step back and placed a hand on her hip as she looked down the line at the rest of us, finally resting her eyes on me. She stepped towards me and I closed my eyes and held my breath. Cold tea splashed in my face and dripped down over my body as I wiped the moisture away from my eyes.

Noah peeled back the sticker, revealing my name. “That’s correct!”

Marisol glared at me, and I shrugged as a smug smile came over my face.

“Did you really say that to him?” Bobby whispered as he leaned towards me.

I couldn’t help but grin as I nodded. Bobby laughed and held up his hand for a high five, which I happily returned as Marisol returned to her seat.

A few quotes later, it was my turn. I hopped to my feet and dipped a mug into the tea, then held it up.

“Alright, who’s ready for this?”

Lottie held up the quote: “’I don’t even get what all these guys see in her. She’s not that pretty, and her attitude is shit.’”

I laughed. “Oh, come on, is that the meanest quote about me they could find?”

I looked down the line of islanders on the benches, trying to see which girl looked the guiltiest. Not that it mattered, anyway – I knew exactly who I was going to splash. I walked slowly down the line, finally stopping in front of Marisol.

She looked up at me in surprise. “You think it was me?”

My lips twisted into a smirk as I shook my head. “No, I think you would come up with something better than that. I just wanted the element of surprise.”

My arm shot out, and the tea sprang out of the mug – straight into Blake’s unsuspecting face.

“Ugh, you bitch!” she whined, bringing her hands up to her face to wipe the liquid away from her eyes.

“You’ve got that right,” I said, lifting my chin and holding my head high as I returned to my seat.

“Henrik is up next,” Noah said as he picked up the next quote. “’Anyone that would pick Blake over you isn’t worth your time anyway.’”

Henrik’s face fell, and he glanced over at me apologetically before filling up the mug. He walked over and quickly splashed the tea in Bobby’s face.

“I’m afraid that’s incorrect.” Noah peeled back the sticker to reveal that Arjun was the one who had said it to me.

“Alright, the last one is for Blake,” Lottie said.

Blake stood and strutted over to the mugs, filling one and then looking over at Lottie as she waited for the quote to be read.

“’She’s so fake, I can’t believe Henrik couldn’t see right through her.’”

She rolled her eyes and walked straight towards me with a glare. I braced for impact and soon felt the liquid splash over me and run down my skin.

“And that is also incorrect,” Lottie said as her fingers worked at revealing the correct answer. She held up the board, which had Bobby’s name written across it in bold letters.

“Really?” Blake glared at Bobby, before turning her attention towards me. “You know, I’m surprised that they didn’t use any of your quotes about me. I’m sure you’ve had plenty to say about me behind my back.”

“And waste perfectly good insults?” I smirked. “No, I’d rather say them to your face.”

“Ugh,” she grunted, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she walked back to Henrik.

Beside me, Bobby’s shoulders shook as he laughed silently. I ran my arm around his waist and gave it a light squeeze in appreciation as he leaned towards me.

“That was epic. I’m sorry you had to take that tea for me.”

“It’s okay,” I smiled. “I was already soaked anyway. I just appreciate having you in my corner.”

“Always, Josie. Always.”

Bobby and I walked together back to the villa, arms slung around each other. Around us, there were hushed tones and harsh whispers as some of the others discussed the challenge. It was going to be another interesting evening in the villa.

*********

“Josie, can we talk?”

I finished filling up my water bottle, then turned to face the man I had spent much of the day trying to avoid.

“Didn’t you say enough last night?” I asked as I screwed the top back onto the bottle and brought the straw to my lips.

“I’m sorry,” Henrik said, his eyes pleading.

“You’ve said that already.”

“I mean it, Josie. You have no idea how much I regret… everything.”

I sighed, looking out upon the lawn, watching the reflections of the fairy lights in the soft waves of the pool.

“What do you want from me, Henrik?” I asked, my voice just above a whisper. I turned back to look him full in the face. “You’ve made your bed, now you have to lie in it.”

He looked down at the floor as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “I don’t want this thing hanging between us. I… I hate being so close to you but so far away.”

“Maybe you should have thought—”

“I know,” he cut me off, lifting his head. A glimmer of light betrayed the moisture glistening in the corners of his eyes. “I should have. I wish I had.”

I sucked in my breath as I felt my heart squeeze in my chest. “I’m not ready to forgive you yet.”

“Please… just tell me there’s a chance.”

I paused, uncertain what to say. I knew what he wanted to hear, and a part of me wanted to give in.

“A chance for what?” I finally asked. I lowered my eyes, unable to look at the longing in his face.

“TEXT! Guys, I got a text!”

Relief washed over me at the interruption. I had never been so happy to hear Chelsea’s high-pitched squeal. I started moving towards the lawn, but Henrik stepped in front of me, putting his hands on my arms.

“A chance for forgiveness. Please.”

“I don’t know, Hen. At this point, I really don’t know. I can’t…” I shrugged his arms off me and pushed past him, wiping away a tear as I walked as quick as my heels would allow me towards the beanbags where Chelsea waited with eager anticipation to read the text she had received.

“What’s it say, Chels?” Gary asked, his arm around the petite blonde.

“Oh, no,” she moaned as she looked at the screen. “It says, ‘Islanders, please go to the firepit immediately.’”

There was a collective groan as the mood shifted to one of dread. We slowly made our way to the firepit, where each couple sat together. The singles – Noah, Lottie, Bobby, and myself – sat together at one end. I snuggled into Bobby’s side as he wrapped an arm around me.

“Moment of truth,” Lottie said, her voice shaky. “Are we getting dumped because we don’t have partners?”

“Everyone’s looking at us. I know we’re the single ones,” Bobby said lightly, “but it’s kinda like you’re all here to watch us get married. I’ll be the vicar! Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…”

A phone beeped.

“Oi! Didn’t I say you should turn your phones off at the start of the service?”

“Now’s not the time, Bobs,” Priya hushed him as she pulled out her phone. “Islanders, the public have been voting for their favourite couples. Those with the fewest votes risk being dumped from the Island tonight. As Josie, Lottie, Noah, and Bobby are single, they are not included in this vote.”

Bobby let out his breath and squeezed my shoulders. “I guess being left single wasn’t such a bad thing, eh?”

My hand flew to my mouth as I looked over at Henrik.

_There’s no way people would have voted for him and Blake, right?_

Henrik hung his head, not daring to look up.

Another incoming text, this time to Graham’s phone.

“’The three couples with the fewest votes and who are therefore vulnerable are…’”

There was complete silence as we waited.

_DING!_

“’Hope and Jakub… Blake and Henrik… and Priya and Arjun.’”

“No!” I breathed.

_Not Priya and Arjun! How did they get less votes than Marisol and Graham? Or Rahim and Shannon?_

“’The six vulnerable islanders must now stand up in front of the firepit.’”

The safe couples held each other a little tighter in relief as the vulnerable couples stood up and moved to stand in a line in front of us.

“I’m so sorry, guys,” Shannon said.

“I only just got here,” Blake whined as she stood next to Henrik. He made no move to touch her, keeping himself a few inches away from her.

_Serves them right._

“There’s no way people didn’t vote for me,” Jakub shook his head in disbelief.

Hope rolled her eyes in disgust. “Right, because you’re so great.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have coupled up with you,” he muttered.

“Excuse me?” She sneered, placing her hands on her hips.

“Whatever. It’s too late now,” he clamped his mouth shut and crossed his arms, staring straight into the firepit.

Priya and Arjun remained silent, clutching each other’s hands as they leaned into each other.

I jumped as Bobby’s phone chimed from where it was wedged in between us. He picked it up and sucked his breath in as he read it silently, before reading it aloud.

“’Bobby, Lottie, Noah, and Josie – the fate of the vulnerable Islanders is now in your hands. Each of you must choose one of them to couple up with, saving their place in the villa. The remaining two will be dumped from the island.’”

“Oh my god…”

Bobby’s eyes met mine as I threw him a worried look. He looked at the girls standing in front of the firepit, then back to me and nodded.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered.

Lottie’s phone beeped.

“I’m going first,” she said blankly. She looked up at the islanders standing in front of us, then looked at me with wide eyes. “How do I choose?”

I looked at the boys up for elimination – Jakub, Arjun, and Henrik. A knot tightened in my stomach as I saw Henrik shoot me a hopeful glance.

I closed my eyes, then grabbed Lottie’s hand and took a deep breath. I opened my eyes and looked intently at her.

“You need to do what’s best for you, Lottie. Don’t worry about me, don’t worry about anyone else – this is your chance. Take it.”

Her eyes widened at the implication of my words. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Please, Lottie.”

She gulped, then nodded and stood shakily to her feet. With one more glance at me for reassurance, she straightened and wiped her hands on her dress.

“I… I wasn’t expecting this to happen, and I’m not sure what to say. I want to couple up with this boy because… well, because I’ve always fancied him, and I know that he regrets his mistakes and deserves a second chance. The boy I want to couple up with is Henrik.”

I lowered my eyes to the ground as the others clapped, not wanting to see the look on Henrik’s face. Would he be relieved to be saved? Disappointed that I let Lottie pick him instead of doing so myself? I couldn’t bear to look.

My phone alerted me that it was my turn. I stood quickly, knowing that with Henrik already saved, my choice was easy.

“I want to couple up with this boy because he’s been nothing but kind and supportive since the day I met him. In a few short days he’s already developed a strong connection in here, and I think with a bit more time it could blossom into something really special. The boy I want to couple up with is Arjun.”

Arjun’s face broke into a wide smile. He turned to hug and kiss Priya on the cheek, then bounded over to me. I met him with a hug and a warm smile, and he took his seat next to me.

Bobby’s phone went off, and he squeezed my hand before rising to his feet.

“I want to couple up with this girl because she means a lot to so many of us in this villa. It truly wouldn’t be the same without her, and I’d never forgive myself if I let her leave. Plus, we all know we’d be the most gorgeous couple in the villa, which is the most important thing, right? The girl I want to couple up with is Priya.”

Priya grinned as she ran over to hug him. “The rap battles live on!”

“Shh, Priya, you weren’t supposed to tell anyone about those!”

She giggled as she released him, then turned to Arjun and gave him a hug as well. I shifted over to let them sit beside each other, in between Bobby and me.

Jakub, Hope, and Blake were the last ones standing, and it all came down to Noah. Hope looked confident as she stood between them, sending flirtatious glances in his direction.

Finally Noah stood up. I caught the longing sideways glance he sent in Priya’s direction, and gave an inward sigh of relief that Bobby had been able to choose first.

He cleared his throat. “Um… I’d like to couple up with this girl because…” he broke off, sucking his breath in as he tilted his head back and stared up into the sky. “…Because I think everyone deserves a second chance. This girl is beautiful, and I think given the opportunity, she’ll prove to us that there’s more to her than we’ve seen so far. So the girl I’d like to couple up with is… Blake.”

All hell broke loose.

“WHAT?” Hope screamed, her face turning red. “How could you do this to me after everything we’ve been through?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” I jumped up from my seat, waving my arms wildly. “You’re saving that slag after all the shit she caused?”

“What the hell, Noah?”

“Oh my god, what is he doing?”

“Why did he save _her?”_

Even Blake looked stunned at the turn of events, before her face broke into a smug, satisfied smile.

Through it all, Noah stood silently, his expression as stoic as ever. A muscle twitched in his cheek, and he finally turned to look at Hope, his eyes dark and his jaw clenched. The others fell silent as he opened his mouth to speak.

“When I picked Priya over you, you were pretty quick to go to the Hideaway with Jakub. And then you were intimate with someone in Casa Amor, told him you would bring him back, but changed your mind because Priya chose to switch?”

Hope’s eyes widened. “I thought—I didn’t know—I only—”

“You kept insisting I was the only guy for you, you made me feel so beholden to you, but you were only ever doing it for yourself, weren’t you? My feelings never mattered. I let you trample me, time and again. But no more. It’s time I stood up for myself. I don’t owe you anything, and I certainly don’t want to spend any more time coupled up with you. We’re done.”

There was another wave of murmurs and surprised glances. Hope looked around at the others, desperate for support, but nobody spoke up for her.

_DING!_

The text was a welcome relief. Jakub pulled out his phone and looked at the screen.

“’Jakub and Hope, as you have not been chosen, you are now dumped from the Island. Please get ready to leave the villa immediately.’”

“This is bullshit,” Hope sneered. She stalked up to Noah and shoved her index finger into his chest. “This is all your fault. If you’d only stayed with me instead of letting Priya turn your head, I wouldn’t be leaving and you wouldn’t be coupled up with that stuck-up Barbie doll.”

“Hope, don’t—” Noah started.

“Believe what you want, babe,” Blake glared at Hope, “but everyone saw through you, and there was no way you were going to win the money. At least now Noah has a better chance.”

She laced her fingers with Noah’s as she stared Hope down, both of them glaring at each other. Finally Hope broke eye contact and, with a final grunt of disgust, stomped off towards the villa.

Jakub shrugged as he watched her go, and we gathered around him to give him a hug before he too headed towards the villa to pack his bags.

Blake bumped into me as she walked past, before turning to give me a smirk. “I guess we’ll be seeing more of each other, Josie.”

“Oh, fuck off. Just remember there’s a reason you were in the bottom three.”

A hand caught my wrist and pulled me towards the bench, and I was too shaken to resist. I sat down and turned to see Bobby’s concerned eyes looking down at me, and the noise of the others faded away.

“I know, it sucks,” he said softly, “but you can ignore her.”

“I share a dressing room, bedroom, and bathroom with her. I can’t exactly avoid her 24/7.”

“Yeah, but you share those with all the other girls, too, and you’ve managed to survive despite your differences with them. It’s just until the next dumping.”

“I’m tired of constantly being in this situation, though.”

Behind me, someone cleared their throat. I saw Bobby’s eyes look up, and I followed his eyes over my shoulder to see Henrik standing there.

“I was hoping we could finish our conversation from earlier,” he said.

My eyes narrowed. “I thought we already did.”

“Please…”

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

“I’ll give you some privacy,” Bobby said. He rose to his feet and walked away, and Henrik sank down onto the bench in his spot. He turned his body towards me, draping his arm over the back of the bench.

“I—”

I held up a hand to stop him, took a breath, and looked up.

“Henrik, I can’t promise anything. I told you that. But I also couldn’t bear to see you leave tonight.”

His face brightened and he opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off.

“Don’t say anything, not yet. I couldn’t bear to see you leave, but I also couldn’t bear to be the one to save you. I think you deserve another chance… but not with me. You need to give Lottie a shot.”

“But—”

“She likes you, Henrik. She always has. I know you said she was your type when you came in, but have you ever really given her a chance?”

His eyebrows scrunched together as he considered my question. “Maybe not.”

“Then please, try. I think you would be good for her, and bring out the best sides of her. I can’t give you what you want right now, but maybe you can find it in her.”

“Will there ever be a chance? For us?”

“I can’t say no, Henrik. But I can’t say yes, either.”

I stood abruptly and turned away to hide the moisture forming in my eyes. I walked away toward the villa as he called back to me, but I refused to turn back. I had to let him go.

*********

I walked into the bedroom, ready for bed after a long, grueling day. We had said our final goodbyes to Hope and Jakub without further incident.

I looked over at Blake as she climbed into bed next to Noah.

_I still can’t believe it. As much as I didn’t like Hope, this is a serious downgrade._

I found the bed I was supposed to share with Arjun and had just settled in under the covers when he walked in and sat at my feet.

“Priya and I are going to sleep on the daybeds,” he said.

Bobby had followed close behind him and flashed me a big grin as he jumped onto the bed beside mine.

“We finally get our own beds! Isn’t it great?”

“You can finally starfish all you want,” I smiled.

His eyes widened and he pumped a fist. “Yes!”

Arjun laughed, shaking his head as he stood to his feet. “I guess it’s the least we can do as a thank you for saving us both. Seriously, thank you.”

“There was nobody else I could have saved,” I replied, before noticing Henrik had just entered the room. His face fell as he heard my words, and my stomach tightened at the hurt on his face.

“You okay, Josie?” Bobby asked, not missing the expressions on our faces.

I gave him a sad smile. “Yeah… I think we both just need time.”

“Well if you need anything, you know where to find me.”

“Thanks, B,” I replied, my voice just above a whisper. I rolled over and snuggled into the blankets, waiting for the lights to turn off.

They finally did, and the room quieted as each couple said their goodnights. Soon the only sounds that could be heard were the soft breathing and snores of the others in the room.

For some reason, despite my emotional exhaustion, sleep eluded me. I lay awake, thinking over my place in the villa and wondering what my next steps would be. When would the next recoupling be? If it was girls’ choice, who would I pick? Who would pick me? Would we be getting new islanders soon? Would I fancy any of them? Was I even ready to move on?

Through it all, I replayed the events of the last couple days in my head. Seeing Henrik with Blake. My interactions with both of them. Tonight’s dumping and having to watch Noah choose to save Blake.

The minutes dragged by as I tossed and turned, chasing a sleep that wouldn’t come.

I shifted onto my side and looked over at the bed next to mine. From his silhouette, I could see that Bobby had rolled onto his side.

_So much for his starfish._

Finally I sighed and threw back my duvet. I got up and tiptoed the couple steps over to the other bed. I gently lifted the duvet and crawled in next to Bobby. He shifted, and reached a hand out towards my face, cupping my cheek.

“Sorry,” I whispered. “Did I wake you?”

“No,” was his hushed response.

“Can I stay with you?”

His arm moved around my back to pull me close, and he kissed my forehead.

“Of course.”

I wrapped my arm around his waist and buried my face in his chest. The next thing I knew, it was morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, um... Noah?!?! 😂 Did anyone expect that, because I sure didn't!
> 
> Hope you liked it! ❤


	27. Mr. & Mrs.

Groans filled the room as the bright lights turned on.

“Get stuffed! I need ten more minutes.”

I shifted away from Bobby’s warmth and rolled onto my back, propping my head up with my pillow. I watched as Chelsea hopped out of bed and disappeared out the door, only to return a few seconds later.

“It’s looking like an absolute scorcher out there, guys! I think I’ll go for a swim – anyone want to join me?” She ran back to her bed and jumped onto it, pouncing on Gary as he emerged from under the duvet. “Gary, come swim with me!”

“In a minute, love,” he groaned, before rolling over and burying his face back into his pillow.

“Does anybody want tea?” Noah asked as he got up from his bed with a stretch. Hands all over the bedroom shut up. “Alright, I’ll put the kettle on.”

Beside me, Bobby threw back the covers. “Right, I’m making pancakes.”

“I love you so much right now, man,” Rahim’s muffled voice came from the direction of the next bed over, his face hidden by the covers.

The others perked up at the thought of pancakes and there was a shuffle of bedding and movement as islanders got out of bed and headed towards the bathroom and dressing room.

Bobby sat up and planted his feet on the floor before twisting his body to look at me.

“Come be my sous chef?”

I yawned and burrowed deeper into the mattress. After a restless night, the last thing I wanted to do was get up and cook.

“I’ll let you decorate,” he bribed.

“Mmph. I’m comfy, B.”

“I’ll put extra chocolate chips in yours.”

I opened my eyes and narrowed them as I looked up at him. “And if I don’t help?”

“Then you get to do the washing up. For everybody.”

“That’s not fair,” I groaned, scrunching my face in disgust. I stretched out my hand toward him. “Help me up.”

He ignored the offered hand and circled his arms around my back instead, pulling me towards him. He stood and lifted me up and waited until I set my feet on the ground before releasing me.

“Just give me a minute to use the loo and I’ll be right there,” I said, wiping the sleep from my eyes.

“Okay, but if you’re not in the kitchen in five minutes I’m coming to find you, and you better not be back in bed.”

“Dammit,” I cracked a small smile and shooed him away towards the kitchen as I headed the other direction.

A few minutes later, after doing my business and splashing cold water on my face in an attempt to wake myself up, I made my way outside. Bobby was standing at the counter, shirtless and in his cupcake pyjamas, apron, and headband, already busy mixing the pancake batter in a large bowl. Noah was busy preparing a tea tray to bring upstairs to the dressing room.

Bobby looked up at the sound of my footsteps, his eyes lighting up as a grin crossed his face.

“I was about to send out a search party for you.”

“Oh, whatever, I was only a few minutes.”

“Here,” he passed me a steaming mug. “Tea for you. Don’t want you falling asleep in the batter.”

I laughed as I accepted the mug and took a sip. “Alright, head chef, what do you need from me?”

“A massage would be nice…”

“Right, I’m going back to bed.” I jokingly turned and took a few steps back towards the villa.

“Okay, fiiine! Could you see what we’ve got in the fridge for toppings?”

I returned to the kitchen and he let out a high-pitched squeak as I gave him a light smack on his bum on my way to the refrigerator. Inside I found fresh raspberries and blueberries, which I brought to the sink and washed before placing them in glass bowls, along with a few lemons. I also raided the pantry for chocolate chips, icing sugar, maple syrup, and chocolate spread.

“There, that should be enough to keep everyone happy.”

I sat on one of the bar stools and watched as Bobby ladled a scoop of batter into the frying pan.

“Do you want to leave them plain and let people decide their own toppings, or add some berries or chocolate into some of them as they cook?” I asked.

Bobby didn’t answer, he simply stared at the batter as it cooked.

“Bobby? Bobby!” I snapped my fingers, and he finally looked up.

“What was that?”

I nodded towards the frying pan. “Did you want to leave them like that, or put the berries and chocolate in?”

“Oh! Um. I dunno, what do you think people will want?”

He turned his attention back to the frying pan. As the batter began to bubble, he grabbed his spatula and slid it under the pancake, flipping it to reveal a perfectly golden brown surface.

“Head chef makes the big decisions, I’m just here to decorate.”

“Hm?”

“Bobby…” Frustration seeped into my voice. “Why did you ask me to help you if you’re not going to listen to me?”

“Can you grab a platter and foil? I don’t want these to get cold while we wait for people to come down.”

I rolled my eyes as I slid off the stool and searched in the cupboard for a platter and foil. I placed them on the counter and he transferred the fresh pancake to it, then covered it with the foil.

“You know, I could just eat that one while we wait.”

He said nothing as he ladled another scoop of batter into the pan.

“Bobby, are you okay?” I placed a hand on his arm, and he finally looked up.

“Huh?”

I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows at him. “You haven’t heard a word I’ve said. What’s going on?”

He gave me a sheepish smile and a shrug before turning his attention back to the pan. “Sorry, I’m just a little preoccupied.”

“With what? You could make pancakes in your sleep and they’d probably come out perfect. What are you thinking about?”

“Oh, you know. Just stuff. Like the dumping last night, and wondering what’s coming up next. We’re both in friendship couples with people who want to be coupled up with each other – it’s kind of a strange situation, right?”

“True. Yeah, it’s probably going to be a bit weird for a few days, at least until there’s another recoupling. Or whatever else they throw at us.”

“Are you…” he flipped the pancake. “Are you going to give Henrik another chance?”

I sighed as I climbed back onto my barstool and rubbed my temples. “I really don’t know, Bobby. I told him he should give Lottie a chance.”

He looked up in surprise. “Really? Them two?”

I shrugged. “She likes him, and she’s had a rough go of things in here. At least if they hit it off, then that’ll be a decision that gets made for me. It’ll hurt for a bit, but I’d rather hurt now than give him another chance to break my heart all over again.”

Bobby’s eyebrows scrunched together and he bit his lower lip as he transferred the pancake to the platter. He didn’t respond and I didn’t press him for an answer, happy to fall into comfortable silence and avoid the subject. He fell into his own little world, humming a tune I didn’t recognize and bobbing his head as I sat watching him.

Eventually the other islanders began drifting in and I plated the pancakes for them, letting them choose their own toppings. Once everyone else had eaten, and my stomach began complaining, Bobby finally cooked up a couple special pancakes for me, sprinkling a handful of chocolate chips into the batter as they cooked.

“Thanks for being my sous chef,” he said as we sat side-by-side at the counter to eat.

“I hardly even did anything.”

“Yeah, but I liked it. I like having you around when I cook.”

I looked at him with a smile, but he was looking down at his plate, his cheeks tinged with pink as he cut a piece off his pancake before stuffing it into his mouth.

“You’re sweet, Bobby.”

“I know,” he mumbled, his mouth still full.

“Gross.”

*********

After cleaning up and then taking a shower and getting dressed, I headed back outside.

“Josie!”

I looked up and saw Chelsea waving at me. Her and Shannon had set up their beanbags beside the pool and were baking in the hot sun. Since I hadn’t spent much time with Shannon yet, I figured I would head over and join them. Although Chelsea’s energy and tendency towards ditzy-ness sometimes grated on my nerves, I had come to the realization that she was harmless and well-meaning, and I no longer held anything against her for spilling the beans about Operation Nope – if anything, I should probably be grateful since it halted my plans in their tracks. Not to mention, Hope and Noah’s relationship had imploded on its own, and now Hope wasn’t even in the villa anymore.

I picked up a beanbag from the lawn on my way over, sinking into it and stretching out under the sun.

“Morning, ladies,” I said, dropping my sunglasses over my eyes.

“Morning,” Shannon replied.

“Good morning, Josie!” Chelsea smiled brightly. “It’s a perfect day to tan, isn’t it? We were just talking about tiny food. Do you like tiny food? It’s so much cuter when it’s smaller!”

“Chelsea’s obsessed with making food tiny, apparently,” Shannon said.

“Because it’s adorable! Mini pancakes, open-faced sandwiches, bite-sized bagels. Baby carrots – adorbs! What’s your best tiny meal, hun?”

“Um,” I thought for a second. “Pizza? Everyone likes mini pizzas.”

“Ooh, good one! Perfect when you can’t decide what toppings you want, too!”

“Mmhmm,” I murmured.

“So, we were talking earlier,” Shannon said, “about the couples in the villa. We think it’s cool that you and Bobby saved Priya and Arjun from the dumping, but it puts you in a weird spot.”

“Yeah, everyone else is all loved up!” Chelsea nodded. “Me and Gary are good, Shannon and Rahim are good. But you and Bobby are still single, even though you’re technically in couples.”

“If you could be with anyone in the villa, who would you pick?”

I took a long sip from my water bottle as I considered my options. I wasn’t going to say Henrik, and most of the other guys were, as they said, all loved up. Graham had shown interest in Casa Amor and I wasn’t sure where he and Marisol stood after the drama from the previous day’s challenge, but he wasn’t really my type. I wasn’t going anywhere near Noah with a ten-foot pole, either.

That left Bobby. My best friend in the villa, the guy notorious for being stuck in friendship couples. We were both stuck in the same situation, where there was nobody in the villa for either of us. I had at least had a few good days partnered up with Henrik, but Bobby hadn’t even had a romantic connection at all yet. We could couple up with each other by default, but I didn’t want to hold him back from finding someone. And in the back of my mind, there was still the knowledge that he was well-liked by the public – I didn’t want anyone thinking I was picking him just to keep myself safe in public votes. But there were already fourteen people in the villa; what if there was a recoupling before any new people came in, either boys or girls? I would have to couple up with someone, and I was more comfortable being with Bobby than with any of the other guys in the villa.

I sighed as I released the straw from my mouth. “I guess of all the guys here right now, it would have to be Bobby.”

“Really?” Chelsea perked up. “You and Bobby?”

“I mean, just on a friendship basis,” I clarified. “If there’s a recoupling, I would have to pick him.”

“You were coupled up at the start, right?” Shannon asked, looking at me over the rim of her sunglasses.

“Yeah, we were. It was good, I just didn’t really feel that spark, you know? I was more interested in Gary.”

“And you never did end up with Gary,” she chuckled softly.

“No,” I laughed. “Funny how things work out. I’ve had an interesting journey in here, that’s for sure.”

“You and Bobby would, like, totally be cute together!” Chelsea giggled. “You’d have adorable babies!”

“Chelsea! We’re just friends!”

“Aw, that’s no fun!” she pouted.

“I’VE GOT A TEEEEXT!”

_Oh, good timing._

We got up from the beanbags and wandered over to the firepit, where the others were gathering.

Gary looked up as we approached and winked at Chelsea, then read the text.

“’Islanders, how well do you know your partner? It’s time to find out in today’s challenge. You have thirty minutes to prepare. #youdontevenknowme #whoevenareyou’”

“Oh good, a knowledge challenge,” Marisol smiled. “That’s much better than getting covered in slime or something.”

Chelsea grabbed Gary’s hand and started pulling him up. “Gary, come over here. I need to tell you about my childhood. When I was fifteen I had a pet hamster named Edward Cullen…”

The other couples started drifting off to various parts of the villa to share their life stories.

I turned to Arjun and raised my eyebrows in amusement. “So, partner, this should be interesting.”

He was sitting on the bench with his arm around Priya. “Let’s just have a laugh,” he shrugged.

“Pribby’s gonna smash this!” Bobby exclaimed as he dropped onto the bench next to Priya.

She laughed and gave him a high-five. “Let’s do this!”

“Hey, what’s our couple name?” I asked Arjun as I took a seat next to him. “Arsie? Jojun?”

“Arsie!” Bobby threw his head back, laughing. “Sounds like someone’s pet name for their botty!”

“Okay, so no couple name then,” I said with a smile.

Bobby’s face turned serious as he shifted to face Priya. “Alright, Priya, let’s stare into each other’s eyes for thirty seconds to really get into each other’s heads.”

Priya looked startled. “Do I really want to get into your head? I’m afraid of what I might find there.”

“Hey! It’s immaculate, I clean it regularly.”

“Oh my god,” she laughed, rolling her eyes. “Easy to keep clean when there’s nothing there.”

“Hey!”

“Do you guys want to just do this together?” I suggested. “Not the challenge, but the getting-to-know-you part. That way you guys,” I pointed at Arjun and Priya, “can learn each other’s answers, too.”

“That’s a good idea,” Arjun smiled. “Thanks, Josie.”

“Just don’t mix up our answers when the time comes,” Bobby warned.

“Okay, let’s start with families – parents’ names? How many siblings?”

We discussed as many topics as we could think of in the given time frame, until we were interrupted by Graham’s booming voice advising he had a text.

“’Islanders, it’s time to make your way to the firepit to play Mr. and Mrs. #allaboutbae #howdeepisyourlove’”

“This should be fun!”

As the other islanders made their way back to the firepit for the challenge, a few members of the production team came out and set up a large chalkboard for us to keep score on, then handed us each a chalkboard and piece of chalk, before disappearing back into the villa.

The girls sat on one side of the bench, while the boys moved to the other side to ensure the couples couldn’t sit together. Marisol quickly volunteered to keep score and read out the questions for the boys, while Bobby offered to read the questions for the girls.

Marisol confidently stood beside the chalkboard and looked at the clipboard she had been given with the questions.

“Islanders! It’s time to see how well you know your partners in today’s challenge. The boys have to answer questions about the girls, and vice versa. If your answers match, you get a point, and the couple with the most points will win a prize.”

“What’s the prize?”

“To be determined,” she smiled.

“I hope it’s the Hideaway,” Gary grinned, rubbing his hands together.

“Why, you think you actually have a chance at winning this?” Graham scoffed.

“Guys, we all know Pribby is going to smash this,” Bobby said confidently, leaning back against the bench as he winked at Priya. “But as much as I love Priya, I’m not sure I want to win a night in the Hideaway with her.”

“You couldn’t handle me, anyway,” she laughed in response.

“Ooh, shots fired,” he clutched his chest in mock dismay.

Marisol loudly cleared her throat. “Let’s get this challenge started, shall we? First question is to the boys: What are your girl’s parents’ names?”

I wrote my answer, then waited for the boys to finish up. Bobby was scribbling on his chalkboard with Arjun peering over his shoulder and shaking his head. Arjun elbowed him discreetly, then started writing on the corner of his board as Bobby watched intently.

Bobby quickly erased his board and began writing anew.

“Bobby, Arjun, are you cheating?” Marisol glared at them, placing her hands on her hips.

Arjun’s head shot up, eyes wide. His chalkboard clattered to the ground as he threw his hands up, claiming innocence.

“NOPE!” Bobby quickly replied, shaking his head as he finished writing. “Nothing to see here!”

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at them suspiciously. “I’m watching the both of you.”

Arjun picked up his chalkboard and flashed Marisol an innocent smile. She finally looked away to see if everyone else had finished writing, and he quickly rubbed the corner of his board.

“Okay boys, time to reveal your guesses and see if they were correct. Arjun, let’s start with you.”

He flipped his board over to reveal the names ‘Jason and Maeve,’ and I turned mine to show he was correct.

“Alright, one point to Josie and Arjun,” Marisol said as she marked the board.

“Long distance high five!” I grinned, holding up my palm as Arjun did the same thing from the boys’ side of the bench.

“Bobby?”

The board slipped out of his fingers, and he just missed catching it as he grabbed at it.

“Sorry!” He picked it up off the ground to reveal ‘Raj & Simran’ in small, hastily-scribbled letters.

“You remembered!” Priya grinned happily, turning over her board. She waited until Marisol looked away, then gave Bobby and Arjun a wink.

Graham had written ‘Camilla and Charles’ on his board, which we all had a laugh about – until Marisol turned hers over with the same answer.

“I know, I know,” she rolled her eyes. “I’ve heard all the jokes.”

After we got through the rest of the couples’ answers, Bobby stood up to read the girls’ first question.

“Ladies, your question is… how many siblings does your boy have?”

_Easy._

I wrote down ‘4’ – he had told me he had three sisters and one brother.

All the girls had been paying attention, as we all scored a point. There were a few more rounds of general knowledge questions – pets, birthdays, where people were born – before things started getting more interesting.

“Okay boys, who was your girl’s first celebrity crush?”

_Oh, we didn’t talk about this. Interesting. Let’s see, who did I have a crush on…_

I wrote the first name that came to mind from my pre-teen years and waited for our turn.

Bobby had written ‘Alan Rickman’ on his board, making Priya laugh.

“Alan Rickman? Where did you get that idea from?”

“Didn’t everyone love him? The man was a legend.”

“I liked him,” Lottie grinned, turning over her board.

“But he’s old!” Marisol protested.

“Still hot,” Lottie smirked. “And his voice…” she shivered.

“Well, I got that wrong, then,” Henrik said dejectedly, wiping his board.

“Who did you put?”

“Brad Pitt.”

“Fair enough, he’s hot, too.”

“Gary, what did you answer for Chelsea?” Marisol asked, moving the game along.

“Well, she said she had a hamster named Edward Cullen, so I guessed Robert Pattinson.”

Chelsea squealed and started bouncing up and down in her seat. “That’s right! O.M.G.!”

“Yes, get in!” Gary grinned, pumping his fist.

“Arjun, your turn. Who was Josie’s celebrity crush?”

Arjun shrugged. “I guessed Robert Pattinson as well.”

“Oooh,” I shook my head. “Sorry, but I was Team Jacob. It was Taylor Lautner for me. The abs get me every time.”

The other girls hummed and ‘ooh’ed as they nodded in agreement.

Bobby cleared his throat. “Moving on! Girls, it’s your turn. Ooh, this is juicy. What is your boy’s favourite sex position?”

_This should be interesting! Good thing we went over this one._

I scribbled down what Arjun had told me earlier, listening to others’ giggles as everyone did the same.

“Blake, let’s start with you,” Marisol said. “What’s Noah’s favourite sex position?”

“Well, we haven’t gotten there yet, of course,” Blake smirked, “but I feel like Noah would be a missionary guy.”

Noah coughed into his fist, then flipped over his board. It said ‘Doggy.’

She sniffed and lifted her chin. “Close enough.”

“No point for you,” Bobby said. “Josie? You’re up.”

I held up my board. “Girl on top.”

“A classic,” Bobby grinned. “But is it correct?”

Arjun turned over his board with a cheeky smile. “Correct. And if I’m tied up, so much the better.”

“Oooh, spicy!” Bobby laughed, as he marked our point.

Priya leaned over to me and whispered, “I’m going to have so much fun with that one.”

I smiled at her in response, catching her wink in Arjun’s direction.

“Priya, love of my life,” Bobby said, “what have you got for me?”

“Side by Side,” she said as she turned her board around.

“Yes!” Bobby pumped his fist.

“Wait, what’s that?” Gary asked, his ears perking up.

“Dead easy, that’s what it is.”

“Well, now I really wanna know.”

“It’s just both of you lying on your sides facing each other, with her top leg over yours,” he explained.

“Sounds boring,” Gary stifled a pretend yawn.

“Why, what’ve you got?”

Gary grinned. “Show ‘em, Chels.”

Chelsea rolled her eyes as she flipped over her board. “I’m not doing this with you, Gare!”

On her board was written ‘The Helicopter,’ and Gary turned his to reveal the same.

“What the hell is the helicopter?”

“It’s revolutionary, mate.”

Gary tried explaining it, with no success, until Bobby offered to assist with a demonstration. He maneuvered Bobby into various positions, all while windmilling his arms and thrusting his hips.

“Seems like a bit of a workout.”

“What’s he doing that with his arms for?”

“I dunno, Gary, have you ever actually tried this with someone, or just seen it online?”

“Hey, don’t knock it till you try it, guys,” Gary responded as he sat back down on the bench.

Bobby marked a point for him and Chelsea, then turned back to the group. “Who’s next? Lottie?”

“I put doggy,” she said.

“Man’s best friend, but nope,” Henrik shook his head. “I wrote ‘up against a wall.’”

He glanced at me, and I knew he was thinking of us in the shower. I quickly looked away, as heat rushed into my cheeks.

Rahim and Shannon both wrote ‘Missionary,’ and Graham and Marisol both wrote ‘Reverse Cowgirl’ to score points for their couples.

“Last question for the boys, what is your girl’s biggest turn-on?”

_Neck kisses, for sure._

Around the firepit as the boards were turned over there were a variety of answers: Good kissers, neck kisses, stroking, nipple sucking… and going all-in with a good poker hand?

Shannon smiled slyly. “I’m sure most of you have played poker before. You know when you get a really good hand and you know you’re going to win? You’ve got to be careful how you play. Be too obvious, and everybody folds. Be too conservative, and the pot won’t be worth much. But that moment when you’ve reeled some sucker in, you know you’ve got him beat, and he calls you all-in?” She closed her eyes with a shiver before reopening them. “Anyway, it’s my tell. I’ve always got to be careful what I wear to tournaments, because I don’t want my nipples poking through my shirt and giving me away. And I’m always looking for a good fuck after. All because I went all-in on a good hand.”

The firepit was silent for a moment as everyone processed what they had just heard.

“Well, I’m all in,” Rahim said quietly.

“Awwww!”

“Alright, last one for the girls,” Bobby said, “and it’s a particularly juicy one. Drumroll please?”

We beat our palms against our legs, creating a drum roll, until Bobby held up a hand.

“Has your boy had sex with more than one person at once? If so, how many and what was the ratio of boys to girls?”

“Oooooh!”

We somehow hadn’t talked about this, but I figured Arjun was a fairly traditional, conservative guy, so I wrote ‘zero’ and left it at that. I vaguely remembered from when we had played Truth or Dare on the first day that Gary was the only guy who had confessed to having a threesome, so Henrik and Graham were the wildcards.

My hunch about Arjun was proven correct when he flipped over his board.

Lottie’s board read ‘Yes – 1 boy 2 girls,’ which Henrik confirmed with a proud grin.

“It was when I was 20,” he admitted when pressed for details. “And it might have happened on more than one occasion.”

Gary slapped Henrik on the back. “That’s my man!”

Finally it was Marisol’s turn to reveal her board.

“Well, I had to guess since he wouldn’t even tell me how many people he’s slept with,” she looked up and gave Graham a scowl, “so I said two girls, one boy.”

Graham grinned as he turned his board over. “It was yes, and it was four boys and one girl.”

The boys whooped and hollered, while the girls gasped in shock and horror.

“ _Four_ boys?” Marisol cringed. “Men are pigs. If that’s what you’re getting up to, it’s no wonder you won’t tell me your body count.”

She shook her head in disgust, crossing her arms and grumbling under her breath and leaving Bobby to tally up the final scores.

“The winners of today’s challenge with a whopping fourteen points are… Shannon and Ibrahim! Congrats, guys!”

As we clapped and cheered for them, Rahim pulled out his phone.

“I’ve got a text!” he grinned. “’Congratulations Shannon and Rahim! There’s a special treat waiting for you in the kitchen to help you cool down your burning love. #justdesserts #iceicebaby’”

“Let’s go, Rahim!” Shannon grabbed his hand and pulled him off the bench as they ran towards the kitchen to claim their prize.

“Sharing is caring!” Bobby yelled at them.

*********

Hours later, Marisol and Graham were still bickering back and forth, while the rest of us gave them some space. I headed into the kitchen, where a group of islanders was huddled around the counter.

“My cuppa’s ruined!”

“It’s just a cuppa. Make another one.”

“I can’t, that was the last of it!”

Bobby noticed my arrival and came over, leaning on the counter. He jerked his chin towards the others. “They’ve been at it awhile. Wanna get away from this lot and have a chat?”

I shrugged. “Sure, what’s up?”

He chewed his bottom lip as he looked at the others, watching as more people started getting involved in the argument. “Let’s just go somewhere private - swinging bench?”

“Oh, alright. Lead the way.”

_What does he want a private chat for? Or was that just to avoid getting involved in everyone else’s drama?_

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he walked up the stairs towards the swinging bench, and I followed close behind. When he reached the swing he jumped onto it, letting it swing wildly before lowering his foot to the ground to slow it down and allow me to take a seat.

He picked up a bright pink cushion and hugged it to his chest as he closed his eyes and leaned his head back, rocking the swing gently with his foot.

I watched him as I waited for him to speak, noticing the way his brow furrowed and he sucked his bottom lip between his teeth, and I wondered what he had brought me here for.

Finally, his eyes still closed, he spoke. “I talked to Chelsea today.”

“Okay…”

“She said you wanted to couple up with me.”

I released the breath I didn’t realize I was holding, shaking my head with a laugh.

_Fucking Chelsea._

“That’s not what I said,” I protested. “Shannon asked who I would want to couple up with, and since I don’t see any romantic prospects with anyone in the villa, I said that if there were a recoupling I would pick you.”

He nodded slowly, finally opening his eyes and looking out over the villa.

“So is that what you want?” he asked. “To couple up as friends?”

I shifted in my seat to face him. “I mean, it depends on what happens next. If they bring in new girls, I would totally be fine with you getting to know them. I want you to find someone you like.”

“The thing is…” his voice trailed off as he clutched the cushion tighter against his chest. “The thing is, there is someone I like.”

_Wait, what? Who? Chelsea? I thought he didn’t— Shannon?_

“Oh,” was all I could find to say. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize—”

“Fuck,” he grunted, throwing the cushion on the ground and resting his elbows on his knees as he fidgeted with his hands. “It’s you, Josie.”

I recoiled in shock, my mind unable to comprehend the words I had just heard.

“What?”

“Look, if you just want to be friends, that’s cool, I get it, I’m used to being in the friendzone,” he rambled, staring at his hands. “It doesn’t have to change anything between us, I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable around me or anything, you can totally forget I said anything if it makes you feel any—”

“Bobby!” I reached out and placed a hand on his knee, and he froze as he stared at it. “How… how long have you… felt this way?”

“Since the beginning.”

“Really? But you never said anything.”

He looked at me with a pained expression. “I picked you, didn’t I? We were coupled up.”

I racked my brain, trying to remember the conversations we’d had in the early days.

“But we both said we wanted to get to know everyone.”

“Yeah,” he laughed softly, shaking his head. “We did. Because what else are you supposed to say on day one? And after getting to know everyone else, I knew my first instinct was right, and you were the one I liked best.”

“So why didn’t you tell me?”

He shrugged. “You were looking elsewhere the whole time. I wasn’t going to hold you back if you thought you could find something better with someone else. You can’t force things, and it was clear you saw me as just a friend. And I’ve friendzoned enough girls to figure I’d get over it pretty quick, but…”

“But you didn’t.” Unbidden tears formed in the corners of my eyes as it dawned on me what Bobby had had to go through over the past few weeks, watching me with other guys, watching me have my heart broken.

“No, I didn’t. I like you, Josie. A lot.”

“I honestly don’t know what to say. I don’t…”

“You don’t need to say anything,” he said softly as he raised his hand to my face, wiping away a stray tear with his thumb. “Not yet. Take your time, I’m not going anywhere. And if you decide you just want to be friends, I’ll respect that. I don’t want to lose you.”

The moisture that had been welling up in my eyes finally spilled over, and I found myself leaning into Bobby’s embrace. His arms were warm and familiar around me, as comforting as they had been every other time I had found myself wrapped inside them. I had always sought in them the comfort of a friend, not a lover, and now I found myself facing a choice.

Voices rose up from the kitchen area. Bobby shifted in his seat, and I let him pull away.

“I’m going to see what’s going on down there,” he said quietly. “Do you want to come with?” 

I kept my eyes lowered to the ground as I shook my head, not ready to speak. I needed time alone to think.

He gently stroked my cheek, his fingers lingering on my skin for a few seconds before he straightened and walked away. I finally looked up to watch his departing figure.

Coupling up with Bobby as a friendship couple was fine. But knowing that he liked me? That changed things.

I didn’t know what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 👀 BOBBY


	28. Breakfast Surprise

I slept in my own bed that night. Not because the rules technically stated that we could only share a bed in the bedroom if we were coupled up, and not because I didn’t want to be close to Bobby and feel that comfort that he always brought me, but because I needed space to come to terms with what he had told me.

Bobby liked me. Like, had romantic feelings for me, liked me. Looking back, I should have seen the signs. He was always there for me, whether I needed a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. He was always the first one at my side when things went wrong – with Rocco, with Lucas, with Chelsea, with Henrik. I had hurt him, and he forgave me. I had made mistakes, and he never turned his back on me, never thought less of me.

I should have seen it in the way he brought me tea, the way he made me breakfast, the way he sent me cookies in my suitcase when we were in Casa Amor. I should have seen it in the way he kissed me way back during the Kiss and Tell challenge. I should have seen it in the way he held me, the way he talked me down when I was upset.

I should have seen it.

Would it be fair to ask him to couple up as friends, not knowing if I could ever return his feelings? Would I even be able to act normal around him, now that I knew his feelings for me? If I distanced myself from him, I might lose his friendship. If I kept acting the same around him as usual, it might be setting him up for heartbreak.

I didn’t know what to do.

Still in my pyjamas, I stumbled into the kitchen with a yawn.

“Think about it, dippy egg is best. You get to cut up your toast into wee soldiers and then play dippy soldiers who sacrifice themselves to the almighty yolk.”

I kept my eyes to the ground as I walked past him towards the refrigerator.

“Aww, you and your wee dippy soldiers,” Priya laughed.

“You are adorable, Bobby,” Lottie smiled.

I opened the fridge and stared into it, without actually seeing what was inside. I closed the door, my fingers lingering on the handle.

“What about you, Josie?” Rahim spoke up, causing me to spin around and face him. “How do you like your eggs?”

“Sunny side up,” I replied, my eyes wandering to meet Bobby’s. I blushed as he gave me a soft, secret smile. “You can still dip a soldier in, too.”

“I’ll allow it.” His smile widened. “And what the lady wants, the lady gets.”

He kept his eyes on me as he sauntered in my direction, and I lowered my eyes, my blush deepening as his fingers lightly brushed against mine where they still rested on the door handle of the refrigerator. He pulled open the door and reached in, coming up with a pair of eggs, which he carried over to the frying pan.

“Eggs are good,” Henrik mused, “but eggy bread is better. It’s like upgraded toast.”

I put a couple slices of bread into the toaster and slid onto an open barstool, listening to the others talk about their favourite breakfast foods as they ate. The mood was lighter than it had been in days, as everyone was adjusting to the changes in the group. My toast popped up and I spread a thin layer of butter over the slices before carrying my plate over to the stovetop, where Bobby slid the fried eggs onto my toast.

“Thanks,” I smiled shyly at him, then quickly returned to my seat.

_Why am I acting so shy around him all of a sudden?_

I concentrated on the food in front of me, the voices of the others fading into the background as I ate.

“Who’s that?”

“No way! New people!”

“Are they boys? Tell me they’re boys.”

“No, they’re girls.”

“It’s more girls!”

_More girls._

I finally registered what the others were saying and looked up in time to see two tall women, a blonde and a brunette, strolling out of the villa.

_Girls. What if they like Bobby? What if he likes one of them and would rather pursue that than be in another friendship couple with me? Am I going to get dumped?_

“Queens in the villa! Heeeey, everyone!” one of them said, a glowing smile on her face.

“This is like doing the walk of shame in reverse!” the blonde laughed. “Good morning!”

The guys perked up and surrounded the new arrivals, talking over each other as they asked questions.

_It’s just like how all the girls acted when Lucas and Henrik came in._

“Check you lot out,” the brunette grinned. “This is what I call a welcome. You lot are way fitter in person.”

They looked around the group and as their eyes landed on me I smiled and waved, my mouth still full of egg.

_They look like they mean business… and their business is stealing our men._

They introduced themselves as Elisa and Jo, and the boys quickly offered to give them a guided villa tour.

“The big question is, how do you like your eggs?” Bobby asked, standing near the stove with a spatula in hand. “I’ll get you some breakfast.”

“Scrambled with a bit of hot sauce to spice things up,” Elisa said, flashing him a flirtatious smile.

“I’d love scrambled eggs!” Jo quickly agreed. “They’re my fave.”

“Scrambled eggs coming right up.”

“So, ladies, what’s your deal?” Blake leaned against the countertop, looking mostly at Elisa. “Are you here to meet the one?” Her voice lowered conspiratorially as she continued. “Play the game? Stir things up?”

Elisa gave her a wry smile. “I’ve got my eye on a few of the guys in here.”

Not giving their game plan away, the girls instead told us a bit about themselves. Elisa was a beauty YouTuber and social media influencer, while Jo was a BMX racer.

Having completed my breakfast, I carried my dishes to the sink while Bobby finished preparing two plates of scrambled eggs and toast and placed them, along with a bottle of hot sauce, in front of the girls.

“Right, now we know how you like your eggs, but what about how you like your men?”

He gave them his best smouldering look and put his hand on his hip, moving his body back and forth seductively. Everyone stopped to stare at him, the silence broken only by the clattering of dishes as I suddenly dropped them in the sink, my head coming up sharply.

_He just told me he likes me last night, and now he’s flirting with these girls right in front of me? I know I don’t have any right to be annoyed, but… if he ends up liking one of them, where does that leave me?_

“I’m a social media presence,” Elisa said, “so the man by my side has got to look every bit as good as I do. And I expect to be treated like a queen.”

_What a stuck-up princess. I bet she and Blake will get along. Get rid._

“I prefer my guys chilled out, nothing fancy,” Jo smiled. “I’m looking for someone who’s a laugh and up for an adventure.”

_Sounds like Henrik… or Bobby._

They finished their breakfast in between answering questions from the group.

“So, uh,” Gary cleared his throat. “What about that grand tour?”

“Just say the word, ladies,” Graham nodded.

“Great, let’s go!”

While the boys showed the new girls around the villa, the rest of us girls got ready for the day. I stepped into the shower and turned the taps, feeling the warm blast of water against my skin as I thought about Bobby and considered my options.

Now that there were two new girls, how would it look if I asked Bobby to couple up with me? It would probably seem like I was taking advantage of his feelings, and using him to keep myself in the villa. I wanted to stay, but I didn’t know if I could return Bobby’s feelings. I didn’t want to hold him back from finding someone who would love him the way he deserved, but I didn’t want anyone coming between our friendship.

_Fuck._

I had to talk to him.

I quickly ran through the rest of my shower routine, then went into the dressing room to blow-dry my hair and get dressed. Finally, I headed downstairs to find Bobby.

I spotted him with a group of others chilling on the beanbags, and crossed the lawn towards them. As I approached, he turned his head slightly towards me, giving me a smile as I caught his eye.

“Hey, Bobby, could we maybe—”

_DING!_

“—go for a chat?”

“Oh, I got a text!” Jo exclaimed. “’Jo and Elisa, you’ve got some catching up to do. Pick your two favourite boys and get ready for your first dates. #singleandreadytomingle #doubledates’”

“Amazing!” Elisa clapped. “Well, this is easy. I pick Bobby and Noah.”

“And I’m going to pick Rahim… and Bobby.”

_What the fuck… are they picking him because he’s single, or are they both legitimately interested?_

“Look at you, Bobs!” Gary grinned, giving Bobby’s knee a slap. “They both wanna date you!”

As the girls went to go get ready, Bobby came over to me.

“Sorry, Josie,” he said softly, giving my arm a light squeeze. “We’ll talk later, alright?”

“Yeah, sure,” I responded with a smile that didn’t meet my eyes. “That’s fine.”

It wasn’t fine. I dropped into a vacated beanbag with a frustrated grunt as he walked away.

*********

When the boys were ready for their dates, they came outside to kill time while waiting for the girls to finish getting ready.

“Island boys on tour! At least for a few hours, right boys?”

They whooped and high-fived each other, excited to get out of the villa.

“I hope it’s a fun date,” Bobby said. “Some kind of activity. Or maybe something chill? No wait, definitely something fun.”

_He’s way too excited about this._

“I just can’t wait to get out of the villa and _do_ something.”

Elisa and Jo finally came out of the villa, looking exactly the same as before except they were wearing dresses.

_What have they even been doing all this time?_

“Wow, Elisa,” Noah smiled. “You look stunning.”

She gave him a satisfied smile and took his and Bobby’s arms, steering them towards the villa so they could leave. Jo and Rahim followed.

The rest of us girls followed the guys with our eyes as we watched them walk away. At the last second, Bobby and Rahim turned back to wave to the rest of us. As Bobby’s eyes met mine I gave him a small smile, which he returned with a wink.

And then he was gone. The remaining boys headed towards the pool, while the girls moved to the daybeds to chat.

“Ugh, why couldn’t she have picked someone else?” Blake whined. “Noah and I are getting along so well.”

_Yeah, right._

“Elisa is model gorgeous,” Priya mused, earning a glare from Blake.

“She reminds me of an ex, actually,” Marisol said. “I like them, though. They’re both confident and sexy.”

“As long as Jo keeps her hands off Rahim,” Shannon sniffed. “I saw the way she looked at him.”

“Do you think his head will turn?”

“Doubt it,” she replied confidently. “She’s too chatty and flirty. Rahim gets awkward around people like that.”

“I just want to see Bobby all coupled up with a cute girl,” Lottie said. “It’d be nice if he and Jo get together. Or Elisa, but I think Jo is more his speed.”

_Ugh._

I quietly slipped off the daybed and walked into the villa. I grabbed a blanket off my bed, then made my way up to the roof terrace.

Despite the heat, I felt a bit of a chill as the sun hid behind the clouds. I wrapped the blanket around my shoulders as I sank into the corner of the bench, closing my eyes as I leaned back.

A few minutes later, the terrace door opened.

“Josie? There you are.”

I opened my eyes to see Priya closing the door behind her. She came over and sat next to me.

“What’s going on? You just left without a word.”

I breathed out a sigh. “I’m single and now there are two new girls in the villa.”

“So what? You’re sexier than both of them.”

“There’s only one single guy, and he’s my best friend. Emphasis on _friend.”_ I paused briefly, then continued. “And he’s on dates with both of them.”

Priya didn’t say anything right away as she pondered my words. “A couple days ago you were almost ready to walk out of here… are you saying you want to stay now?”

“Yeah, I guess so. I may not find love, but I’m not ready to leave yet.”

She shuffled closer and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Good, because I’m not ready for you to go yet, either. But why do I get the feeling there’s something you’re not telling me?”

I chuckled softly and pulled my knees up to my chest. “The thing is… Bobby told me last night that he… has feelings for me.”

Priya squealed. “That’s good, isn’t it? That means he’ll pick you!”

I sighed as I turned in my seat to face her. “Is it, though? I don’t feel the same, and I don’t know what to do. What if I ask him to pick me and he misses out on something with one of the new girls? Or what if our friendship changes and we can’t ever go back to what we were?”

“Aw, sweetie,” she leaned towards me and pulled me into her warm embrace. “If he likes you now, after spending the better part of three weeks together, then a couple dates with these new girls isn’t going to change anything for him. Even if you can only offer friendship, I have a feeling he would value that so much more than anything the other girls could offer.”

“I just don’t want anything to change,” I whispered.

“And why should it? The only difference is that now you know how he feels about you. Things will only change if _you_ change how you act around him.”

I considered her words as she pulled away, giving me an encouraging smile. I felt the prick of tears in my eyes and dabbed at them with my fingers, wiping the moisture away.

“You’re right, Pri.”

“Of course, I am!” she smiled widely, and we both laughed.

“I just wish he were back now so I could talk to him.”

She gave me a sympathetic look, then stood and held out her hand to me.

“Come hang out with me and Arjun. We’ll make him perform Bollywood dances for us, and you’ll laugh so hard that the time will pass just like,” she snapped her fingers, “that.”

“Oh, fiiine,” I took her hand and let her pull me to my feet, then followed her off the terrace.

*********

By the time they came back from the dates, it was late afternoon, and it was almost time to get ready for the evening.

Chelsea came running out of the villa screaming with excitement. “They’re baaaack!”

My ears perked up, and soon I could hear the sounds of Bobby’s laughter as he led the others through the door and into the yard.

“Alright, who missed us?” he yelled, spreading his arms wide. His eyes roved across the yard and lit up when they met mine.

Warmth filled me at the sight of him, and I returned his smile with one of my own. The villa had certainly been a lot more boring without him, and I was happy that we would be able to have our much-needed chat soon.

We all headed to the firepit so they could tell us about their dates. I sat next to Priya and Arjun, leaving space for Bobby on my other side, but Elisa dragged him down to the seat next to her.

“It was great! Bobby is such a laugh,” Jo said.

“What did you guys do?”

“They took us to a yacht club! It was lovely,” Elisa responded.

“Yeah, they took us on the boats for a bit, and then we sat at these tables they had set up on the docks, so we could watch the boats going in and out during the dates.”

“And Rahim went for a walk while the second dates were going on, and he almost fell in the water,” Bobby laughed.

“I did not!”

“Yeah you did, I could see you!”

“I tripped over a rope, man! I didn’t almost fall in.”

“Well, you would have, if that yacht hadn’t been in your way.”

“Shut up!”

They talked a little more about their dates, then the group began to disperse as the girls began to head to the dressing room to get ready for the evening. Blake and Shannon made beelines for Noah and Rahim, respectively, to get additional information on their dates, and I crossed the firepit to where Bobby still lingered on the bench. I sat a foot away from him, trying to act casual as I draped my arm over the top of the bench and faced him.

“I’m gonna go get dressed in a minute, but I just wanted to see how your dates were.”

“Standard dates, to be honest,” he smiled. “It was nice to get out of the villa, though.”

“You must have felt special to get taken on dates by both of them.”

“Jealous?” he asked, his eyes twinkling.

“No,” I said quickly, feeling heat rush into my cheeks. “I didn’t want to go on dates with them.”

He threw back his head as he laughed, and I stood.

“I need to go get changed, but let’s definitely chat later, okay?”

“Yeah, absolutely!” He jumped up and we walked together in silence towards the villa.

We reached the kitchen, and he stayed back as I continued down the path towards the bedroom door. As I placed my hand on the door handle and was about to turn it, he called out.

“Hey, Josie?”

I looked over my shoulder, giving him a curious look.

“The dates were good… but they would have been better if you were there.”

His reassuring smile was all I needed.

“Thanks, B.”

I entered the villa and quickly made my way upstairs to the dressing room. As I approached the door, which had been left slightly ajar, I heard the cacophony of voices.

Over the rest, Shannon’s voice was raised. “Rahim and Jo were kissing? Rahim is mine!”

_Oh, great. More drama. At least I’m not at the centre of it this time._

I entered the room unnoticed by the others and headed to my cupboard, selecting a burgundy satin dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves for the evening.

“That’s what Elisa saw!” Chelsea exclaimed.

_Elisa saw Rahim and Jo kiss, and she thought it was a good idea to tell Chelsea? What game is she playing at?_

I changed out of my bikini and into the dress, then took a seat at the vanity as I surveyed my makeup options.

“You should have spoken to Shannon first, Chelsea.”

_She’s not the one who should have spoken to Shannon._

“She had a right to know, girls!”

“But you didn’t just tell her, you told everyone.”

I went light on the makeup, and my hair was in decent enough shape that a few quick twirls around the curling iron were all it needed to look presentable.

By the time I was done, the other girls had already left the dressing room, so I headed downstairs on my own. I wasn’t prepared for the scene I was about to stumble onto.

Almost everyone was in the kitchen, and most of them were talking over each other.

“I never kissed him!”

“Rahim’s a lovely lad.”

“He’s mine!”

“You can’t prove anything!”

“Let me help you guys – what’s going on?” Bobby asked, spreading his arms. “Lay the facts on me.”

“We don’t need your help,” Blake snapped at him.

“Yes, Bobby,” Shannon agreed, “you need to leave. The same goes for the rest of you guys.”

“You boys should go,” Elisa said, waving her hands in a shoo-ing motion. “There’s too many cooks in this kitchen.”

“I just wanted to make sure you girls were all okay,” Bobby frowned. “I’m always here if you want to talk about stuff…”

The other boys gladly backed away and went elsewhere. Bobby didn’t even notice me as he turned and walked dejectedly over to the pool, his shoulders slumped and his hands in his pockets.

Anger pooled up within me as I watched him go, and I turned to the girls, who had continued their argument without a second glance.

I stomped over to the countertop and slammed my fist against it. “What the fuck is going on?”

They quieted as they looked at me with wide eyes.

“Josie!” Chelsea exclaimed. “Elisa told me that Jo kissed Rahim on their date, but Jo is denying it!”

“Who the fuck even cares about a stupid little kiss?”

“I do!” Shannon glared at me, hands on her hips.

“Well why don’t you go talk to Rahim about it, then?”

“I’m not accusing him until I have the facts!”

“Who said you had to accuse him of anything? Just have a bloody conversation like adults in a relationship, it’s as simple as that!” I turned to Blake and Elisa. “And as for you, how dare you speak to Bobby like that when all he wanted to do was help? He spends more time in this kitchen than anyone, so if you want to have a petty argument, you can fuck off and do it somewhere else!”

Blake lifted her chin in defiance. “It didn’t concern him.”

“Yeah, well it sure as fuck didn’t concern you either, did it?”

“Chelsea’s the one who—” Elisa started, before I interrupted.

“Chelsea’s the perfect person to tell secrets to if you want to make sure that everyone finds out about it without telling them all yourself, isn’t she?” I folded my arms, glaring at her. “And you knew it.”

She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I would never do such a thing, I’m an influencer. I’m here to set a good example.”

“Wearing that?” I looked derisively up and down at her sheer gold chainmail-like dress with barely-there undergarments. “Did the costume store run out of chainmail?”

“I’ll have you know—”

“You know what, Elisa, I really don’t give a fuck.” I spun on my heel and went in search of Bobby, as the girls’ voices began raising again behind me.

The pool area was dark, but I quickly spotted Bobby off to the side, his pants rolled up to his knees and his legs dangling in the water. His head was bowed as he stared into the pool.

I slipped off my shoes and carried them as I silently made my way across the turf towards him. I dropped my shoes next to his and lowered myself beside him, dipping my toes into the water and wrapping an arm around his waist.

“Hey, Josie,” he said quietly. “Sorry I wasn’t much help back there.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“I hate seeing people argue like that.”

“I know. Those girls are idiots.”

“I don’t care for drama. Save it for TV or the stage, right?”

“I know,” I said quietly, my voice just above a whisper.

“I always want to fix everything. And when I can’t…”

“You don’t have to fix everything.” I laid my head on his shoulder, and he shifted to put his arm around me.

“I know, I just… I feel the need to try, at least. But you’re right, it’s not my responsibility. Sometimes I forget that.”

We stayed like that for a few minutes, just watching the ripples in the pool bouncing back reflections of the fairy lights above us. Eventually I felt Bobby’s shoulder rise underneath my head as he inhaled deeply.

“We should have that chat,” he said, letting the air out of his lungs.

I lifted my head off his shoulder and removed my arm from around his waist so I could clasp my hands in my lap. “We should.”

“Nothing’s changed for me,” he said. “The new girls don’t hold a candle to you, Josie.”

I fidgeted with my hands as I thought about what to say, finally turning to him. “Why do you even like me, B? You don’t like drama, but drama seems to follow me wherever I go.”

His shoulders shook with silent laughter. He tilted his head slightly as he looked at me, the corner of his lips turned up into a lopsided smile. “You’re different than the girls I usually go for, to be fair. You’re a bit reckless, you go for what you want, to hell with the consequences… and normally that would scare me. But you’re also kind-hearted, loving, and fiercely loyal. Emphasis on _fierce.”_

I laughed, and he lifted a hand to sweep a loose strand of hair away from my face.

“You’re also drop-dead gorgeous, which puts you out of my league. But you act like you don’t realize it, even though when you look in the mirror every day you see the same beautiful face that I see now.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but was halted by him placing two fingers against my lips.

“And most of all, you don’t seem to mind my silly moments. Girls are always saying I’m too immature, or they go on about how I use humour as a defense mechanism. And maybe I do, but it’s never seemed to bother you. You just go along with it, laughing your beautiful laugh, and sticking up for me when others berate me for it. You’ve said before that I’m always there for you, but you’re always there for _me.”_

The look he gave me was enough to melt even the White Witch of Narnia’s cold heart, and I wrapped my arms around his waist as my eyes welled up.

“That might be the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me, Bobby.”

“Which part?” I couldn’t see his smile, but I could hear it in his voice.

“All of it,” I laughed. I pulled back so I could look him in the eyes. “I want to couple up with you.”

He pumped his fist, his grin filling his face.

“Just as friends, mind you – right now that’s all I can offer you, and I don’t know if that will ever change. But…”

“But?” he looked at me hopefully.

“But I’m open to seeing how things go, even though it scares me. I value our friendship so much, B – I would hate to lose it if things go wrong.”

He placed his hands on either side of my face and pulled it towards him, leaning his forehead against mine.

“I can’t promise things won’t change,” he whispered, “but I think it’s worth it to at least try.”

He lightly brushed his lips on my cheek, then released me and pulled away. He gave me a mischievous look, then quickly lowered his hand toward the water and splashed me.

I squealed and brought my hands up to protect my face, but too late as the droplets hit my face.

“Bobby!” I wiped my face, then reached down and splashed him back.

He laughed and lifted his feet out of the pool, bringing himself to a standing position and reaching for my hand. I looked up at him suspiciously.

“C’mon,” he said. “If we keep splashing each other I’m afraid I’ll end up throwing you in the pool and you’ll change your mind.”

I grinned as I took his hand and let him hoist me to my feet.

“Good call.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave kudos/comments if you're enjoying! 💕


	29. Sun, Surf, & Spag Bol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you ever dreaded playing the girls' beach day episodes? Of course you have. Well, I hate it too, so there will be no gossip-sneezing or apology-bossing or any of that other nonsense FB put us through.
> 
> Enjoy.

_DING!_

The lights were still off in the bedroom when I was awoken by the sound of a phone going off not far from my head, giving me a serious sense of déjà vu.

_Don’t tell me they’re dragging us back to Casa Amor again…_

I reached for the phone and pulled it under the duvet to read the screen.

‘Girls, today you will enjoy sun, swimming, and sangria on your very own day out! Please get ready to leave the villa. #ladieswhobrunch #noboysallowed’

I didn’t bother stifling the groan that escaped my throat.

_We get plenty of sun and swimming in the villa… just bring me sangria and let me stay with the boys…_

The bedroom door opened and closed as Priya quietly slipped in from outside, where she had been sleeping with Arjun since their couple had been split up during the dumping. She tiptoed over to my bed and sat at the edge of my mattress, poking my arm with one of her long nails.

“Psst! Josie!” she whispered. “Did you get a text?”

I nodded, only to realize she couldn’t see in the darkness of the room. “Yes,” I whispered.

“C’mon, let’s go get ready!”

She pulled me out of my bed as the other girls began to stir.

“What’s happening?” one of the boys mumbled.

“It’s okay, go back to sleep,” came a whispered response, followed by a grunt and the sound of a body turning over on the mattress.

I followed Priya as we quietly made our way out of the bedroom and upstairs to the dressing room, the other girls following closely behind. We stumbled into the dressing room, laughing.

“Where do you think we’re going?” Chelsea bounced over to her cupboard and threw it open to peruse its contents.

“Sun and swimming sounds like the beach.”

“Has anyone seen my sunglasses?”

“What do they look like?”

As we bustled about and tripped over each other in the small room, a bleary-eyed Jo wandered in.

“Sorry I’m late,” she yawned. “I’m just not a morning person.”

“Didn’t even realize you were missing,” Shannon mumbled under her breath, causing Elisa to stifle a giggle.

“What do you think the boys are going to do today?” Chelsea asked.

_Probably something fun. Maybe they’ll build a fort and pretend to be knights. They’ll use pots as helmets, spatulas as swords, and pool noodles as spears. They’ll have a jousting competition, and…_

“C’mon, girls, let’s go! Our chariots await!”

“Wait, should we say goodbye to the boys? The text didn’t say it was secret.”

“Nah, let them worry we did a runner.”

*********

After a short drive, we arrived at the beach. The day was perfect, and at the early hour the beach was almost deserted, with just a few people taking early morning walks and picking up seashells by the waterline.

We were led to a beautiful cabana with a small pool and bar area. Beside the pool were a number of colourfully patterned tote bags, and a picnic hamper awaited us on the bar along with a tray of fresh tropical fruit.

“This is more like it!” Priya grinned.

“This is lovely,” Shannon said.

“This is just what we need after the last few days,” Lottie smiled.

“Where’s the sangria?” Marisol asked as she started poking around the bar area. She found a few glass pitchers at the end of the bar and brought them over.

I lifted the lid from the picnic hamper and looked inside. “I found the glasses! And some snacks.” I pulled out a bag of Bombay Mix and tossed it at Lottie.

She caught it and her face spread into a grin as she saw what it was. “Bombay Mix! Best holiday ever!”

Marisol began pouring the sangria, and I looked at the pitcher longingly.

_Can I just have the whole thing?_

“Who wants to propose a toast?” Priya asked.

Blake opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Chelsea.

“Oh! Pick me, pick me!”

“Alright, Chelsea, it’s all yours,” Priya laughed.

“I propose a toast to the babes of Love Island, on tour! Today’s about girl power!”

We raised our glasses and clinked them together.

“Girls on tour!”

Chelsea looked thoughtful as she sipped from her glass. “Girl power… hm… we should be Spice Girls! I was totally the Baby Spice in my friend group! Major mission, we needed to decide what Spice Girls we are.”

“I wouldn’t say we _need_ to…” Lottie said.

“I think I know who’s ‘Scary’!” Chelsea winked at her, and Lottie smirked in response.

“Let’s check out the pool,” Blake said as she walked over to where the totes were lined up. “Now what have we here?”

“That pool is so beautiful!” Chelsea sighed.

“Isn’t it?” I cradled my sangria in my hand as I stepped onto the pool’s stairway and descended into the water. Around the edges of the pool were built-in benches, and I took a seat facing the ocean and white sand beach.

Blake opened one of the tote bags. “Ooh, spa stuff! There’s lotion… eye masks… manicure kits…”

“Amazing! Let’s do nails.”

“Ooh, I think it’s mani-pedi o’clock, girls!”

Priya grabbed two tote bags and brought them over to where I sat in the pool. She placed them on the coping behind me, then lowered herself into the water next to me.

“Want me to do your nails, hun?” she asked.

“That’d be lovely. Sangria, an eye mask, and someone doing my nails for me. It’s almost enough for me to forget who else we’re here with!”

She laughed as she opened up one of the tote bags and passed me the eye mask. I put it on and placed my hand flat against the coping as she began removing my existing nail polish. I sat back against the ledge and relaxed, closing my eyes and listening to the lull of the waves rolling into the shore as the other girls giggled over their own manicures.

“We need to decide who’s which Spice Girl!”

_I’ll pass on this one, Chels._

“Priya, you should be Posh Spice!”

“Sure thing, babes,” Priya said, then she nudged me. “Josie, you wanna be Ginger?”

_Grr._

“Only if I don’t have to sing, because nobody wants to hear that.”

“Yay! And Jo can be Sporty, right Jo?”

“Sure, I’d love to!”

“Where’s Lottie? She’s Scary!”

_She certainly can be._

“Does anyone want to do massages?”

“I thought we could rehearse some Spice Girls songs now!”

_Nooo!_

“I’m going back to the bar,” Elisa said. “Blake? Marisol? Care to join me?”

_Yes, get rid. Wait, take Chelsea, too!_

“Sure, let’s go!”

“Do we actually have to sing, now?”

“Kidding, babes, kidding! I want to do massages!”

“Your nails are done, Josie,” Priya said.

I lifted my eye mask to examine my nails, which had been painted a sunny yellow colour.

“You’re hired,” I said in approval. “What shade is this?”

“Sunflower. Can you do mine the same?”

“Sure!”

I painted Priya’s nails as the other girls gave each other massages.

“You know,” Priya said as she lounged in the pool, mask over her eyes, “before I came into the villa I found out that sunflowers always face the sun. But if they can’t find the sun then they just face each other.”

She lifted her eye mask and looked at me, then continued. “I feel like you and me are each other’s sunflowers… even when we can’t find the sun, we turn to each other.”

“Aw, Priya,” I smiled, “that’s so sweet. I really like that.”

“You’re a star, Josie. I know you haven’t always felt like it because of the kiss with Gary and all that drama early on, but you really are. You didn’t come in with a game plan, you’ve stayed true to yourself, and deep down you have a heart of gold.”

I put the nail polish brush back in the bottle and dabbed the corners of my eyes.

“Priya…”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to get all melty on you. But I appreciate all the support you’ve given me, first with Noah and especially with Arjun. If you hadn’t encouraged me to keep an open mind in Casa Amor, I may not have switched.”

“No regrets, then?” I asked with a smile.

“None.” She spread her arms out, taking care not to smudge her nail polish as I pulled her into a hug.

“I’m so happy things are working out for you.”

“Thanks, hun. I hope things work out for you, too.”

I let out a sigh.

_We’ll see…_

I finished painting her nails, and then we headed back to the bar for a sangria refill. Marisol, Blake, and Elisa were sitting on the bar stools, chatting and digging into the snacks.

“So tell us more about your dates yesterday, Elisa,” Marisol said, “now that we’re away from the boys.”

Priya and I sat down on vacant bar stools and poured ourselves more sangria.

“Well, you know I took Bobby,” Elisa answered. “I figured he’d be really interested in getting to know a couple new girls, since he’s been in friendship couples this whole time, right? But he seemed kind of distracted, and he just kept goofing off.”

Blake rolled her eyes. “He was like that during Casa Amor, too. Why is he even here if he’s not going to bother pursuing anyone?”

_Because he likes me, bitches._

“Right? And Jo said he was the same when he was on the date with her.”

“He probably just can’t handle a real woman.”

_Oh no, you didn’t._

I lifted my head and glared at Blake, and she smirked back at me, then continued.

“If he’s not careful, he’s going to get stuck with Josie.”

“Fuck off, Blake,” Priya snapped.

“You got something to say to me, Blake?” My bar stool scraped against the wooden planks of the floor as I stood and pushed it back. I walked over to where she was sitting and stood in front of her with my arms crossed.

“I think I just did,” she said smugly.

“You know, I was happy enough to just ignore your existence, but you just can’t leave well enough alone, can you? If you wanna start something, I’m happy to finish it for you.”

“What are you gonna do, hit me?”

“I’d be happy to rearrange your face for you if that’s what you really want. It’ll certainly be cheaper than what your plastic surgeon charges.”

“Please, go ahead,” she smirked, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Getting you kicked out of the villa would be a pleasure.”

“You’re right, that would be a waste. I plan to still be here long after you’re voted out.”

“Hard to still be here when you’re single.”

“Who says I’ll be single?” I shrugged. “I thought I would see if Noah wants to couple up with me.”

She scoffed. “As if. Didn’t he turn you down once already? He chose Hope over you, and me over Hope.” She tapped her lips with her finger. “Oh, and then Henrik picked me over you, too! I’m sensing a theme here.”

I snorted. “So you’re just going for my sloppy seconds, is that it? Is Gary next? I know you already tried it with Bobby.”

“Oh, please. I hardly _tried_ with Bobby, I had, like, one conversation with him and it was all I needed to realize he was too immature for me.”

I took a step forward and shoved my index finger in her face. “He turned you down, quit acting like you wouldn’t have jumped at the opportunity to couple up with someone you knew the public loved.”

Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth and closed it again. Then she relaxed and smiled smugly. “Why, you want the fan favourite for yourself? Maybe you should be thanking me, then. I broke up you and Henrik, so now you can play the victim card, swoop in on Bobby, and win the cash. Is that your game?”

“Fuck off,” I seethed, clenching my fists. “I’m not here to play any games.”

“Josie,” Priya pulled on my arm, but I shook her off.

“Ooh, I hit a sore spot, didn’t I?” Blake smirked. “Planning to couple up with Bobby, are you?”

“Whether or not I am is none of your business, and if I do it’ll be as friends only, because that’s what he is to me. A _friend_ that I _care_ about. Not some pawn I can use in some master plan to win the fucking money!”

“Sure, whatever you say,” she leaned back against the counter and examined her fingernails. “You keep trying to tell yourself that.”

I took another step forward, only for Priya to grab my arm again and pull me back.

“Josie! Just ignore her!” she pleaded. “She’s not worth it.”

I gave Blake another glare, then took a step back.

“You’re right, Priya. I shouldn’t waste my time and energy on this Baywatch reject.”

Blake tutted as I turned towards the beach.

“I almost feel bad for you, Josie.”

I paused and looked over my shoulder.

“I don’t think about you at all.”

I kept walking, with Priya following me towards the shoreline.

“Don’t let her get to you,” she said once the girls were out of earshot as she put her arm around me.

“I’m trying! It was bad enough that she talked shit about me to Henrik, but now she’s talking shit about Bobby?”

“Let her think what she wants. You and I both know she’s wrong.”

“I can’t believe Noah saved her. Even Hope would have been better.”

“I know, right? But c’mon, let’s not think about them. Help me build a sandcastle.”

“With what? We don’t have buckets or shovels.”

“So? We’ll just use our hands.”

“And ruin the manicures we just gave each other?” I laughed. “I’ll race you into the ocean.”

I took off towards the water and dashed in, jumping into the waves as Priya joined me.

*********

Finally, it was time to leave. Lottie, Chelsea, and Shannon had joined Priya and I in the ocean for a while before spending the rest of the time lounging on the sand and chatting. Now we were heading back to the Jeeps to be brought back to the villa.

The ride back was quiet, as we were all exhausted from the early wakeup and the long day in the sun. I was so ready to wash the salt and sand out of my hair, and I was calculating my chances of being able to take a quick nap before the evening when we arrived at the villa.

We walked through the building towards the back and found the guys lounging on the bean bags.

“We’re baaaack!” Chelsea shouted, and the boys all jumped up to greet us.

“Where’d you go?”

“Did you have fun?”

“It’s about time!”

Arjun and Bobby came up to Priya and I and gave each of us hugs, and we separated off from the main group.

“We missed you girls,” Arjun said after giving Priya a kiss, then looping his arm around her waist as she cozied up to him.

“Yeah, it was quiet without you,” Bobby said.

I snorted. “You mean it was quiet without Chelsea.”

“Well, yeah,” Bobby laughed. “But your presence was missed.”

“Did you guys at least have fun without us?”

“Yeah, we had some good male bonding time,” Arjun nodded. “Worked out, played some games in the pool, ate way too much bacon.”

“Sounds great,” Priya smiled up at him.

“I hope you didn’t eat all the bacon,” I groaned.

_DING!_

“Whose was that?”

“Mine!” Bobby said, looking at his phone. He turned to the rest of the group. “Guys, I got a text!”

“Ooh, what’s it say?”

“’Bobby, the public have been voting, and you have been selected to prepare a home-cooked feast tonight for your fellow islanders. You may choose one of your fellow islanders to cook with you. #homecooking #BobbysKitchen’”

He grinned as he slung his arm over my shoulders. “So Josie, how are your cooking skills?”

_So much for that nap._

“Bobby, there’s a reason I like to mooch off your cooking so much.”

The others groaned in disappointment.

“It’s okay, Chef Bobby will be there to ensure everything is edible, don’t worry, guys!”

“Hey! I’m not that bad! I just prefer eating things that other people have cooked.”

“So are you in, or do I need to find another sous chef?”

_We haven’t really been able to spend much time together lately, so it would probably be a good idea…_

“Okay, fine,” I smiled. “But you know what this means?”

“What?”

“First dibs on the shower!”

I ducked out from under Bobby’s arm and ran into the villa, heading upstairs to shower and get ready for the evening. By the time I finished with everything and went back down to the kitchen, Bobby was already there, perusing the contents of the refrigerator. He was wearing a tight black t-shirt over grey skinny jeans, with his blue ‘(melon) baller’ apron over top.

As the click of my heels announced my approach, he looked up with a grin. His eyes widened and his jaw slackened at the sight of my low-cut, skin-tight dark green minidress.

“Josie, you are seriously working that look, you know?”

His eyes travelled down the length of my body, and I blushed, not used to receiving this type of open admiration from him.

“Oh, um,” I suddenly felt shy and awkward, and wondered if this was the right choice.

As if sensing my discomfort, he swiftly changed the subject.

“The pantry’s been restocked, so we’ve got loads to choose from. Any ideas?”

“You’re the cook, you pick.”

“I wanna know what you want to eat, though.”

“What about jerk chicken?”

His eyes sparkled under the kitchen lights as he smiled. “Are you trying to make me like you even more, or something? You’re speaking my language, here.”

My eyes widened. “No! I just thought—"

“I’m just messing with you, Josie. Sorta. Anyway, I love the idea, but I think jerk would be too spicy for some of the people here with less refined palates.”

“We don’t have to make it too spicy…”

He clutched his chest and tumbled backwards as if he had been shot. “Jerk chicken that’s not spicy? You’re breaking my heart, here!”

“Okay, fine!” I giggled. “But you’re going to make it for me one day.”

“I love the sound of that,” he smiled.

“What else could we do? Pasta? Some sort of seafood? Vegetarian?”

“I feel like no matter what we do, someone’s not going to be happy.”

“Well then, let them try to cook for sixteen people.”

“Let’s do pasta, then. I can whip up a nice Bolognese sauce, although it would’ve been better if we’d had the time to let it really simmer.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I think we should make garlic bread to go with it. How do you feel about making the spread?”

“Making the spread? I usually just buy it…”

He laughed and shook his head. “I’ll tell you what to do, don’t worry. Here, let’s grab what we need and get choppin’.”

I followed him into the pantry and he started handing me the dry ingredients we needed, filling his own arms with herbs, garlic, onion, and a couple French baguettes. We returned to the kitchen and he dug around in the cupboards and drawers for the necessary equipment.

“Where’s my spoon?”

“Which spoon?”

“The wooden one… please don’t tell me Gary took it…”

“Why would Gary take your spoon?”

“You don’t wanna know.”

“Um, okay.”

“Aha! Found it! Who put you there, sweetheart?”

_Did he just call a spoon ‘sweetheart’?_

He pulled a knife out of the kitchen block and gave me a serious look. “How are you with a knife?”

I rolled my eyes and held out my hand. “I won’t cut myself, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Good,” he winked. “Okay, you can mince the garlic. We’ll need it for both the pasta and the bread, so start there. Oh, and you’ll need an apron.”

He opened another drawer and dug around until he found what he was looking for, and threw it over to me. I unfolded it to find an apron in the same blue shade as his own, that said ‘#RapCrew’ on the front.

“Nice,” I said as I pulled it on overhead and tied it behind me.

Bobby placed a large pot on the stovetop and poured in some olive oil, turning the burner on to begin heating it up. Then he pulled another knife out of the block and began chopping up an onion.

“I could’ve done the onion, too, y’know,” I said.

He glanced up at me with a smile. “Yeah, but I don’t want to make you cry.”

“You’re such a melt.”

“Hey, my mammy would be proud.”

“I’m sure she is.”

“I hope so.”

“Is that something you’re worried about?”

“Aren’t we all, to some extent? I mean, we’re on camera almost 24/7, with no control over what gets aired. And not that I have any secrets to keep from anyone, but we’re telling each other things that our friends and family might not even know about.”

_Or, you know, having sex with people only for them to betray you and pick someone else._

“I don’t think you’ve said or done anything that your family would be ashamed of. I think they would be proud of you.”

He stopped chopping and looked up at me, and I couldn’t tell if the moisture in his eyes was from the onion or from emotion.

“Do you really think so?”

I put down my knife and put my hand over his. “I really do.”

“Good.” He leaned over and planted a light kiss on the side of my head. “Now I think you’ve got enough garlic there for the sauce, so just do a few more cloves for the bread, and then you can start on these herbs.”

The oil in the pot sizzled as Bobby scooped the chopped onion and minced garlic into it to let them cook. I continued mincing the garlic, then set it aside and moved on to the herbs while Bobby added the ground beef to the pot.

“I feel like we’re on a cooking show,” Bobby said. He straightened and stared into an imaginary camera on the other side of the counter. “Welcome back to Chef Bobby’s, where today I, along with my lovely sous chef, Josie—”

I smiled and waved at the imaginary camera.

“—am showing you all how to cook Spaghetti Bolognese for no less than sixteen people! Watch as Josie chops these bay leaves into fine pieces. Well done, Josie!”

“Thank you, thank you very much!”

“Meanwhile, over here, our ground beef is browning quite nicely. In fact, I do believe it’s time to add the next ingredient, which is the red wine. Let’s just do that quickly, and let that simmer for about a minute or so. Make sure you stir and scrape the bottom of the pan!”

“What next for me, boss?”

“Ah, you can combine your ingredients for the garlic butter – which would be softened butter, minced garlic, salt, and parsley – no, that’s not the parsley! Sorry folks, she’s new here. Yes, that one. Good. Mix those until they’re well combined. That’ll keep you busy for a bit while we come back to our sauce.” He breathed in deeply, waving his hand over the pot. “Once the alcohol smell is gone, you can add the rest of the ingredients for the sauce. Stir, and bring it to a simmer.”

“Is this good yet, Bobby?”

“Ahem,” he cleared his throat while staring beyond the counter, “but will the sous chef please refer to me by an appropriate title?”

I rolled my eyes with a laugh. “Excuse me, Chef Bobby, is this garlic butter mixed well enough yet?”

He whipped his head around dramatically and peered into the bowl.

“Yes, that’s lovely. Now cut the baguettes lengthwise and spread the butter on each side.”

I did as he directed, while he checked on the sauce and lowered the heat. Then he filled another pot with water and put it over the stove.

“And now we wait for a bit for this water to boil so we can cook the noodles. We’re right on schedule, folks, now it’s time for a break and we’ll see you in a few minutes!”

“That sauce already smells so good,” I said, breathing in deeply.

“Just wait until you taste it,” he grinned. He leaned back against the counter and folded his arms across his chest as he looked at me. “So how was your beach day with the other girls?”

I grimaced. “I don’t really wanna talk about it.”

“That bad, huh?”

I sighed, and lifted myself up to sit on the counter. “It wasn’t all bad, really. It started off fine, with sangria and the spa. Priya and I did each other’s nails—” I showed him the fresh polish on my nails and he gave them a look of approval “—and we spent some time in the water.”

“So what was the problem?”

“Blake.”

“Ah,” he nodded. “I should have guessed. What did she do?”

I lowered my eyes, debating what to tell him, if anything. It was one thing for her to say nasty things about me, but she had dragged him into it, as well.

“Just… I mean…”

“You can tell me.”

“I know,” I exhaled. “She said some shit about you. And me. Both of us.”

“Okay,” he shrugged. “Big deal, Blake talks a lot of shit.”

“I know, and I’m trying not to let it get to me, but… it just made me think about things. Maybe we shouldn’t couple up.”

His brow furrowed as he frowned. “Why not?”

I lowered my eyes, looking at my hands clasped in my lap. “I just think you deserve someone who feels the same way about you. And I don’t know if that will ever be me.”

Bobby pushed himself away from the counter and came over to me. He nudged my knees apart and stepped between them, placing his hands on either side of me.

“Shouldn’t that be my problem to worry about?” he asked in a low voice.

I lifted my eyes, suddenly realizing how close his face was to mine. His eyes lowered to my lips, then back up to my eyes. I froze.

_Oh, shit._

He leaned closer, and I could feel his breath against my skin as my heart began pounding in my chest.

His hands moved from the counter to the outsides of my thighs and around my backside, pulling me towards him. I closed my eyes, waiting, letting him make the first move.

For a moment, his lips pressed against mine, the gentlest of touches. The next moment, they were gone, and I became aware of the clatter of the lid against the pot as the boiling water bubbled up beneath it. I opened my eyes to see Bobby rushing to remove it.

I exhaled suddenly, not even aware until then that I had been holding my breath.

I watched as Bobby added the pasta noodles to the water, then took a spoon and dipped it into the sauce, lifting it to his mouth for a quick taste. He smiled, giving it a nod of approval. I slid off the counter and looked at the garlic bread.

“Should we put the bread in the oven, now?”

When he didn’t respond right away I looked up at him, only to find him leaning on the counter again, looking at me with a small smile on his face. Heat rushed into my face as I quickly looked back at the garlic bread.

“You’re cute when you blush,” he said, causing my cheeks to burn even brighter. “But yeah, we can turn the oven on to preheat now. We’re almost done.”

He flicked the dial on the oven, back in Chef Bobby mode, the moment gone.

_I shouldn’t have let that happen._

“Oh, we should have a salad, as well,” I said, and quickly busied myself washing lettuce, needing to keep myself occupied while I lost myself in my thoughts. I didn’t want to lead him on, I didn’t want to give him hope where there may be none. We were just friends. Friends don’t kiss.

Soon, everything was ready and the other islanders came out of the villa and sat down around the long table that had been set up. We placed the dinner places on a cart and brought it over.

“What did you guys make?”

“Ooh, Spag Bol!”

“Wow, this is well fancy.”

“Thanks so much, guys!”

“Nice, some hearty carbs.”

“Isn’t pasta a bit basic?” Blake sneered. “Especially from a guy who cooks for a living?”

“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it,” Bobby said, his tone sharper than I was used to hearing.

Arjun waited until Bobby and I were sitting, then he stood to his feet and raised his wine glass. “I’d like to propose a toast to Bobby and Josie, our culinary hosts for the evening. This looks and smells amazing, guys.”

“Yes, thank you!”

“Cheers!”

There was silence except for the clanging of utensils and crunch of garlic toast as everyone ate.

“Thish ish amazing, guys,” Gary said as he chewed on the garlic bread.

“Gary, that’s gross!” Chelsea elbowed him with a frown. “But it really is tasty!”

“Thanks, guys,” Bobby smiled. “Josie was the perfect sous chef.”

“So,” Priya smiled slyly, “did you do any kitchen bits?”

She winked at me as I looked up at her in surprise.

“Kitchen bits?” Lottie asked. “Why would they be doing kitchen bits? They’re just friends.”

“Kitchen bits! I love saying ‘kitchen bits’!”

“I don’t know if I want to hear about anybody’s bits while I’m eating, thank you very much,” Marisol said, making a face.

“Like, was proper hygiene used?”

“Guys, there were no kitchen bits,” I said firmly.

“Aww, none?” Priya pouted.

“Nope, no bits,” Bobby confirmed, and I smiled at him gratefully.

“That’s boring!”

I cleared my throat. “So, what did you boys do today while we were gone?”

“Oh, we had tons of fun without you girls,” Graham grinned.

“Doing what?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Bobby winked.

“Did you talk about me?” Chelsea asked brightly, clasping her hands.

“Did you tell ghost stories?”

“During the day?”

“I bet you played a game of some sort,” I suggested.

“I’ll tell you what we did,” Bobby grinned, leaning back in his chair. “Sit back and let me tell ye a tale, girls.”

There was a scraping of dishes as some of the girls set their forks down on their plates and gave Bobby their attention. I put my elbows on the table and rested my chin on my hands.

“It began atop the waterfall, at the edge of the world,” Bobby started.

“That’s what he calls the infinity pool,” Henrik added.

“Silence, Blondbeard!”

Henrik clasped his hand over his mouth.

“And then the sea god Poseidon sent an undead pirate to save a stranded ship from falling over the edge…”

“That was me!” Rahim grinned.

“So Cap’n Long Bob turned around and headed back to port, only to discover that his lady love had been kidnapped!”

“What is he talking about?” Chelsea whispered loudly.

“Ah, it was the best, to be honest,” Graham said. “We played with the pool floats.”

“And we were clowning around, making jokes about booty,” Gary added.

“Arr, but the booty be no laughin’ matter, King Garold!”

“Basically, we played pirates,” Noah said. “It was amazing.”

“I’m jealous,” I said wistfully, turning to the girls. “We should’ve done something fun like that.”

“But we got to be Spice Girls!” Chelsea exclaimed.

“And we did manicures and massages.”

“I would’ve rather played pirates, though.”

“Aye, ye can play with us next time,” Bobby grinned at me. “You can be the damsel in distress, and we’ll come and rescue you.”

“That sounds fun!”

“Something buzzed!” Elisa said, jerking suddenly. “Was that a phone?”

“Oh, it’s mine,” I said, picking up my phone. “’Josie and Bobby, congratulations on treating your fellow islanders to tonight’s meal! Tomorrow night, the boys will choose who they want to recouple with, and the public will decide who picks first. #justdesserts #decisionsdecisions’”

“I’m ready!” Priya smiled at Arjun, who winked back at her.

“What, you don’t like being in a couple with privateer Cap’n Long Bob Cupcake, Priya?”

Priya laughed. “I love you, Long Bob Cupcake, but I’m ready to recouple with this guy over here,” she draped her arm over Arjun’s shoulders, “so we can stop sleeping on the daybeds.”

“But I’m gonna miss having a bed to myself,” Bobby pouted.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” she smiled.

“Gonna starfish for all I’m worth tonight.”

With dinner over, the islanders dispersed around the lawn. I stood and tucked my chair under the table, and when I looked up I noticed Bobby standing nearby, his hands in his pockets as he looked at me.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey.”

“So tomorrow… you said earlier that maybe I shouldn’t pick you.”

_Right… before he kissed me. Sort of._

“I did.”

“Well, I’m going to. If I have the chance, at least. There’s nobody else I want to couple up with.”

_Same, even if I am worried about where this will take us._

“Okay,” I said softly.

His eyes brightened as he smiled. “Okay?”

“Yeah,” I smiled. “Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos/Comment if you liked it!
> 
> I absolutely *loved* writing the kitchen scene. Loved it.
> 
> ALSO if you enjoyed my little switch-up with the boys' pirate chat, I'm writing another fic that was inspired by that scene, and I've changed it up to match the story. If you're interested, I'd love it if you would check it out [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26221252/chapters/63817660)! A new chapter will be out in the next day or so.


	30. On a (Secret) Mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun with this one. Basically had to throw out a ton of stuff from the game (because Hope no longer exists in this timeline, LOL) so I had to come up with some filler. Enjoy. 🤣

The mood in the bedroom was light in the morning, despite the previous night’s news about the upcoming recoupling. We lounged on our beds, listening to Bobby making owl noises and chatting about random topics.

Gary stretched his arms with a yawn. “I wonder what kind of cereal we’ve got in.”

“Good shout, Gary,” Bobby said from the bed next to mine. “We should have breakfast in bed, to make this morning memorable.”

My stomach rumbled loudly. “I could go for a big fry up right now.”

“Mmm, same,” Rahim agreed, closing his eyes and rubbing his tummy. “A huge plate with eggs, bacon, fried bread… that’s a special morning.”

“Oof, that sounds perfect,” Graham said. “Who wants to cook?”

The outside door swung open at that moment, and Arjun and Priya walked inside with big smiles on their faces.

“Guys, there’s a breakfast buffet out here!” Priya exclaimed. “Why are you all still in bed?”

“Ooh, what’s on the menu?”

“There’s all sorts of stuff,” Arjun said. “Eggs, bacon, toast, fresh juice – we don’t have to cook!”

“You just have to clean,” Priya smirked at him.

“Why me?” he moaned.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help.”

Around the room, some of the islanders started getting out of bed, while others stayed in and waited for their partners to bring them breakfast.

Bobby hopped out of his bed and jumped face-first onto mine, burying his head into my extra pillow before propping himself up on his elbows to look at me.

“Want me to bring you breakfast in bed?” he asked, his eyes bright.

“Is this part of your evil plan to woo me?”

“Obviously. Is it working?”

“I dunno, why don’t you try it and find out?” I smirked.

He grinned as he sat up over the edge of bed. “What do you want?”

I shrugged. “Surprise me.”

A mischievous look crossed his face. “Are you sure?”

I gave him a playful nudge with my knee under the covers. “You’re trying to woo me, so you have to be good.”

“Dammit! You’re too smart for me.” He ruffled his dreads with his fingers as he stood up. “Be right back.”

I let out a yawn as I stretched my arms and pulled myself up into a sitting position against the headboard. Priya gave me a wink as she watched Bobby and Arjun walk outside together, then she got into Bobby’s vacated bed.

“You two are so cute,” she grinned.

I rolled my eyes. “There is no ‘us two,’ you know that.”

“But you’re giving him a chance, right?”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean anything’s going to come from it. I just want to take things slow and wait to see what happens. I jumped into things too quickly with Henrik, and look where that got me.”

“Bobby isn’t Henrik, Josie,” she said, quietly but firmly, “and I think he’s proven that already a bunch of times. And besides, this is Love Island, you can’t take things as slow as you would on the outside.”

“I know, but—”

“No buts! Just look at me. I spent so much time wanting to be with Noah, but just a couple days spent with Arjun was enough to turn my head. I took a chance – with _your_ encouragement, I might add – and it’s worked out great. The greater the risk, the greater the reward.”

“And the greater the loss if something goes wrong,” I said.

She sighed. “Maybe so, but wouldn’t you rather find out one way or another rather than playing it safe? You may not get another chance.”

I didn’t respond as I took her words into consideration. I had, of course, already decided to couple up with Bobby, but where would that take us? How far would things go before I figured out whether or not there was even something there?

My thoughts disappeared and my face brightened as Bobby and Arjun came back in, carrying trays and placing them on the cubbies at the foot of my bed. Arjun picked up a plate of food and a glass of juice and gave them to Priya before picking up his own and settling into bed next to her. Bobby handed me a glass of cranberry juice, which I placed on the end table next to me as he reached over for a large plate piled high with food. He came over and sat on the bed beside me, his thigh resting against mine as he pulled the duvet over his legs and balanced the plate on his lap.

“Wait, just one plate?” I asked, eying him suspiciously. “Where’s mine?”

“I thought we could share!” he smiled.

“You’ve only got one fork.”

“I’ll feed you,” he winked.

“You’re a dork,” I laughed.

“A lovable dork,” he pouted, to which I raised an eyebrow.

“Well,” I leaned back, making myself comfortable against the headboard, “I guess it’s not a truly luxurious breakfast in bed experience if I don’t have someone to feed it to me.”

“Your wish is my command,” he grinned, scooping scrambled egg onto a slice of toast. He held it out and I opened my mouth to accept it. “Well?”

“Delicious,” I said after I finished chewing, “although I would have preferred your fry up.”

He tsked. “Such a demanding customer, never pleased.”

“Nope. Feed me more, I’m hungry.”

He scrunched his face. “No way, get your own.”

“Bobby!” I gave him a playful jab on the arm as he laughed, bringing his elbow up to protect the food.

“Careful! Just let me take a bite, will ya?”

“Ugh, fine. But only because I can’t eat all of that myself.”

He rolled his eyes as he shoved a forkful of egg into his mouth. When he finished chewing, he held out another bite for me.

“I could get used to this, you know,” I smiled. “I feel like a princess.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Does that make me your royal attendant?”

“Absolutely. Next I’ll have you fan me with palm leaves as I lounge by the pool.”

“What an honour! Thank you, Josie.”

“That’s Princess Josie to you,” I smirked.

He placed his palm flat against his chest and pretended to bow. “Of course. I’m so sorry, your highness.”

Behind me, someone cleared their throat loudly, and I turned around to see Priya and Arjun grinning at us like Cheshire cats.

“Having fun over there, Josie?” Priya laughed. “Need a little privacy?”

I blushed, sinking into the pillows as I looked around the room and saw the furtive and curious glances of some of the others.

“Nothing to see here,” I protested, my voice cracking slightly.

_Oh my god, how embarrassing. Thanks, Priya._

Bobby shrugged. “What’s a little breakfast sharing between friends?”

“Uh huh,” Arjun smirked. “Perfectly normal.”

“Shut it, guys.” I leaned over towards my side table and picked up my juice, using the opportunity to shift slightly away from Bobby.

The others turned back to their breakfasts, and Bobby and I did the same, clearing our plate in awkward silence.

*********

A few hours later, Priya, Lottie, Chelsea, and I were lounging on one of the daybeds, lazily watching the boys as they tossed an inflatable ball around in the pool.

“How do they always have so much energy?” Priya mused.

“Ugh, right? I still feel fat from breakfast,” I said, placing a hand on my belly.

“Still? That was hours ago!” Chelsea exclaimed.

“Tell that to my stomach.”

Lottie yawned and stretched before rolling over onto her side and cuddling into one of the pillows, her eyes closed.

“Stop bouncing your leg, Chelsea,” Priya said, putting her hand out to stop Chelsea from jiggling the bed.

“Sorry! I just can’t help myself sometimes!”

_No kidding. She should be in the pool with the boys._

Blake and Elisa walked over and settled onto the other daybed.

“We cleared up that Edinburgh is actually in Scotland last night,” Blake was saying.

I looked over at them in confusion.

“Is it?” Chelsea’s eyes widened. The other girls glanced back at her.

“Seriously?” Elisa sneered.

“I didn’t know! Oh my god!”

“Dublin is in Ireland, did you know that?”

“Is Italy in Rome, or is Rome in Italy?” Blake asked, looking thoughtful.

I turned to Priya with a look of bewilderment, and she smirked back at me, shaking her head.

“Yes, Rome is in Italy,” Elisa responded. “Rome is the capital of Italy.”

“Is it? Is Barcelona in Rome?”

_Oh my god, how dumb are these girls? How did they graduate from school?_

“Barcelona is in Italy.”

I snorted, and Blake and Elisa both turned to me with dirty looks.

“Got a problem, Josie?”

“Nope, not me,” I laughed.

“I thought Barcelona was Spanish,” Chelsea said, her face scrunched up.

“It is,” Priya smiled at her.

_DING!_

We were saved from more inaccurate geography lessons by the beeping of someone’s phone.

“Oh, I got a text!” Priya said. Her eyes widened as she looked at the screen before giving us a secretive smile. “Okay, listen to this: ‘Ladies, today you will become undercover lovers and must complete secret missions involving the boys.’”

“Oh my god!” Chelsea squealed. “We need the other girls here!”

She jumped up and dashed over the decking and into the villa to find Marisol, Shannon, and Jo.

“I’ve never been so grateful for Chelsea’s energy before,” Lottie said lazily from where she still lay on her side on the bed.

We waited a few minutes, and were soon joined by the others. We checked over our shoulders to ensure the boys weren’t looking, then leaned forward excitedly to listen to the assignments.

“’Your first assignment is to get Gary to mention his nan five times without asking about her directly.’”

“I’ll do that,” Marisol said. “Easy peasy.”

“’Second, one girl must get a boy who is not her partner to give her a massage.’”

“Henrik would totally do it,” Lottie said.

“I bet he will,” Priya smirked. “I’ll do that one, then, I’m always up for a good massage. ‘Third, spill a glass of water onto a boy’s crotch and make it look like an accident.’”

“I could do that,” Blake volunteered. “That sounds like fun.”

“’Fourth, get Bobby to put his pastry skills to the test by baking profiteroles.’”

_That should be easy enough._

I opened my mouth to volunteer but was interrupted by Elisa.

“Oh, I’ll do that one!” she grinned.

_Um, what?_

“Gotta give him something to think about for the recoupling tonight, am I right?” Blake smirked, elbowing Elisa in the ribs as I glared at them both.

Priya placed a reassuring hand on my arm, shaking her head.

“Exactly,” Elisa said. “Two girls are going home tonight, and I don’t plan on being one of them.”

_You’re deluding yourself if you think Bobby’s gonna pick you, bitch._

I rolled my eyes as Blake and Elisa fist-bumped each other.

“’Fifth, one girl has to get one boy to go back and forth collecting items for her. Do this five times.’”

Lottie’s arm shot up in the air.

“Dibs,” she said. “I’m having a lazy day, anyway.”

“’Sixth, one girl has to kiss every boy in the villa.’”

Chelsea squealed. “Oh! Me! That’s perfect for me!’”

“Alright. ‘Seventh, one girl has to convince one boy to let her put makeup on him.’”

_It’d be easy to do that with Bobby, but he’s already got the baking mission…_

“I’ll do it,” Jo volunteered.

“’Eighth, one girl must tell three of the boys that she had sex dreams about them.’”

“Ooh, that’s hilarious!”

“This one’s mine,” Shannon said confidently, her lips curled into a slight smirk.

“’Final mission: once all other missions are complete, get all the boys into the pool. #thistextwillselfdestructin5seconds’”

“But they’re already in the pool,” Marisol mused, tapping her lips with her finger as she watched the boys playing. “Getting them all in again might be tough.”

“I guess that’s mine,” I said. “I think I have an idea that’ll work.”

“Alright, ladies, you have your assignments.”

“Marisol, you’re up first.”

The boys were getting out of the pool and splitting up. Gary, Noah, and Bobby grabbed their towels and sat on the loungers, and Marisol headed their direction.

We watched as she sat down with them and engaged them in conversation. After a few minutes, she leaned back on her arms and extended her index finger so we could see it.

“She got one!”

Soon enough, she extended another finger, and then another. Another couple of minutes and she was walking back in our direction with a satisfied smirk on her face.

“My turn next,” Priya grinned. “Where’s Henrik?”

“I think he went inside.”

“Perfect.”

Priya got up and disappeared into the villa, while some of the other girls wandered off to do their own thing. After a few minutes, I grabbed Chelsea and stood up.

“Chels, let’s go check on Priya’s mission.”

“Ooh, yes, let’s!”

Chelsea started walking on her tiptoes as we headed toward the villa.

“Walk normally!”

“Oh!” she clasped her hand over her mouth and giggled. “Sorry!”

As we passed the kitchen, there was a sudden commotion.

“What the hell?” Rahim jumped back from the counter, his shorts dripping as Blake stood near him, her hands covering her mouth. A cup rolled to a stop at Rahim’s feet.

“I’m so sorry, Rahim!” she exclaimed. “I didn’t mean to!”

I pushed Chelsea towards the door before she could start giggling and make anyone suspicious. We entered the bedroom.

“Ooh, that feels so good!”

“This ointment does wonders for my muscles after a climb.”

“I bet.”

“Oh, hey girls,” Henrik said as he noticed Chelsea and I walking by. He was on his knees on Priya’s bed, massaging her upper back. “Anyone up for a massage?”

“Ooh, me!” Chelsea squealed. “I’d love one!”

I shook my head, and Henrik nodded with understanding. The last few days I hadn’t spoken to him much, except in a group setting. The last thing I needed was to have his hands all over me, complicating our uneasy friendship.

Chelsea and I went up to the dressing room, where I grabbed my sunglasses and Chelsea applied a layer of chapstick.

“Gotta have soft lips for kissing all the boys, am I right?” she asked with a giggle.

“Right. Let’s go.”

By the time we made it back downstairs Henrik had finished with Priya’s massage, so Chelsea laid down on the bed for her turn.

As Priya and I headed towards the door, we heard Chelsea sigh and say, “This is so good, I could kiss you right now.”

We dashed out of the bedroom and burst into laughter as we shut the door behind us.

“This is so much fun!” Priya exclaimed.

As we entered the kitchen we came across Bobby coming out of the pantry, his arms full of dry baking ingredients. Elisa sat on a barstool and gave us a satisfied smile when she saw us.

“I told Bobby how much I was craving profiteroles, and he agreed to make them for us.”

_Of course he did._

“Your actual phrasing was, and I quote,” Bobby corrected, “‘I bet you can’t make them from scratch without a recipe.’ And when it comes to pastry, I refuse to back down from a challenge.”

_In other words, he didn’t agree just because she asked._

“I love profiteroles,” I smiled, and Priya murmured her agreement.

Bobby grinned. “Pleased to be of service, ladies.”

_Take that, Elisa._

At that moment, Arjun hurried into the kitchen and made a beeline for the freezer.

“What’s up, babe?” Priya asked.

“Oh, Lottie twisted her ankle so she asked me to get her an ice pack.”

“Aw, poor thing. I’ll come with you and keep her company.”

“Great!”

He grabbed a towel and a couple of ice packs and they walked together towards the sun loungers.

_This is going so well!_

I opened the freezer looking for a snack and found a cardboard box with a single ice lolly left in it.

_Score!_

I dumped the box in the recycling bin and unwrapped the ice lolly as I slid onto a barstool.

“What’s up, Josie?” Bobby asked with a smile as he prepared the choux pastry dough.

“Oh, y’know. Just another lazy day in the villa.”

“Oh, yeah? Any plans for tonight?”

I licked the ice lolly. “Perhaps.”

“I hear there’s a recoupling tonight. Is that something you’d be interested in attending?”

I snuck a glance at Elisa, who looked somewhat annoyed.

“A recoupling, eh? Maybe I’ll see you there.”

“I hope so.”

Elisa rolled her eyes and grabbed her water bottle as she gracefully hopped off the barstool.

“Well, it appears I’m no longer wanted here.”

_You never were?_

“It’s about time,” Bobby muttered under his breath, making me giggle.

As she walked down the steps towards the daybeds, Arjun came bounding up the steps and started walking past us.

“’Sup, Arjun?” Bobby gave him an up-nod. “How’s the invalid?”

Arjun shrugged. “She needs her sunglasses.”

“You’re getting them for her?” I asked. “How sweet!”

“Yeah, I figured the exercise wouldn’t hurt.”

He disappeared into the villa. A few seconds later, Chelsea came out with a huge grin on her face, and her eyes lit up when she saw Bobby.

“Bobby!” She beamed at him and threw her arms around him.

“Chels!”

As she released him she gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

“What was that for?” he asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“I’m just in a great mood today! And I love seeing you in the kitchen!”

“Oh, well, great then.”

She bounced down the stairs in search of her next victim, as Bobby turned back to the dough.

Soon Arjun returned with Lottie’s sunglasses and headed back towards the loungers. A few minutes later, he was back with her empty water bottle. I choked back a giggle at his exasperated expression.

“Where’s Henrik? He needs to look after his bird, I don’t know why I’m the one fetching stuff for her.”

“You’re being a good friend,” I smiled.

“Next she’ll be asking for a snack.”

As he left, Jo and Graham walked by.

“I think the colour will look really good on you,” Jo was saying.

“I dunno, this isn’t really my thing,” Graham responded, rubbing the back of his neck with an uncertain expression on his face.

“Just trust me on this.”

They disappeared into the villa.

_That must be the makeup one. I wonder how on earth she got him to agree._

“I wonder what they’re up to,” Bobby said as he stirred the mixture.

“I haven’t got a clue.”

At that moment, Shannon sauntered up to the kitchen counter and pushed her sunglasses down her nose, looking over them at Bobby’s mixing bowl.

“Whatcha making?” she asked.

“Profiteroles,” he replied proudly.

“Oh, nice. I love profiteroles.” She slid onto one of the stools and placed her elbows on the counter. “I love anything that’s stuffed with cream, to be honest.”

I snorted, and Bobby’s fist came up to his mouth as he choked back a laugh.

“Speaking of which,” she continued, totally unfazed by our reactions, “this is really weird, but I literally had the most graphic sex dream about you last night, Bobby.”

He choked again, sputtering this time as he looked back at her in shock, his eyes wide.

She calmly smiled. “Sorry if this makes things awkward.”

He cleared his throat. “Um, yeah, that’s uh—”

“Don’t worry, I’m not offering, it was just a dream.”

“Makes sense,” I piped up. “Surrounded by hot guys all day, the sexual tension is high…”

“You get me,” Shannon winked at me.

“I can think of worse things than dreaming about Bobby,” I added.

Bobby’s face glowed pink as he stared incredulously between the two of us, his jaw slack.

Shannon slid off the stool with a smile. “Well, good chat, guys. Looking forward to those profiteroles, Bobby.”

She turned and walked away without a second glance, and it was all I could do not to burst into laughter.

Bobby stared into the bowl of dough with a forlorn look, putting his spoon down.

“I’m never going to look at profiteroles the same ever again,” he frowned.

I couldn’t hold it in anymore, snorting into my hand as my laughter bubbled out of me. Bobby shot me a dirty look, and I covered my mouth with both hands, my eyes wide.

He shook his head and went back to work, piping blobs of dough onto the baking trays.

Eventually I settled down and just watched him work, but couldn’t get Shannon’s calm delivery out of my head. I bit my lip to stifle a giggle.

“Stop looking at me like that,” Bobby said.

“I don’t know what’s funnier, her having a sex dream about you, or the look on your face when she told you.”

“Shut up.”

That just set me off again, and he sighed in frustration.

“Okay, I’ll leave,” I said, jumping off my barstool.

“You don’t have to—”

“Nah, you just do your thing and I’ll go hang out with Lottie and Priya.”

“Are you sure? I don’t mind, honestly.”

“I want to see how Lottie’s doing, anyway,” I smiled. “Come by the pool when you’re done, though, okay?”

“Yeah, sure.”

He slid the baking trays into the oven and I headed down towards the pool. As I walked down the steps, Arjun was on his way up. He rolled his eyes when he saw me.

“Lottie needs more suncream. If you ask me, the girl could use a bit of colour. Three weeks here and she’s still pale as a ghost.”

“Some people just don’t tan as well,” I laughed as I walked by him. I made it to the loungers and joined the girls.

“Well?” Priya asked, raising her sunglasses.

“So far, so good. Jo’s upstairs with Graham, Bobby got a kiss from Chelsea and was told by Shannon about her sex dream.”

“Yeah, they both got Arjun, as well!” Priya laughed. “And he’s on trip number four for Lottie’s stuff.”

“I know! And he has no idea?”

“None,” Lottie grinned. “It’s like taking candy from a baby.”

“So one more for Arjun and I think we’re done, then. I told Bobby to come by the pool when he’s done with the baking, so we’ll round up the others and get them in the pool.”

“Awesome.”

I stretched out on the lounger beside them and closed my eyes, listening as Arjun returned with the suncream and Lottie began applying it on her skin.

After a few minutes, Lottie struck again.

“Man, I could really use something to snack on.”

Arjun groaned.

“Arjun, can you go see if we have any Bombay Mix? Priya, Josie, do you guys want Bombay Mix?”

“That sounds great,” I agreed.

“I’d love some,” Priya sad. “Babe, go get us some Bombay Mix, will you?”

He sighed. “Fine.”

He got up slowly, stretching before lumbering up the stairs again to the kitchen.

“So easy.”

“Are you ready for your mission, Josie?”

I grinned. “I was born ready.”

Arjun returned, bringing Henrik back with him.

“Lottie, babe! I hear you’ve been giving Arjun a hard time.”

She smirked. “Well you abandoned me, so I needed someone to help me out in my time of need.”

“I was taking a nap! If I’d known you twisted your ankle, I would have come sooner with my muscle ointment.”

“Ooh, that sounds amazing. I’d love a foot rub, if you’re offering.”

“Sure! Just let me go put some ointment together.”

Henrik bounded up the stairs as Arjun handed each of us girls small bowls of Bombay Mix.

“Thank you!”

Soon we were joined by Jo and Graham, who kept self-consciously rubbing his lips, which bore traces of red stain from whatever Jo put on them.

Once Bobby finished his baking and came over, I knew it was my time to shine.

“Alright, Bobby,” I said, “do you know how to do the salmon?”

He gave me a funny look. “What’s that, some sort of weird dance move? What is it, kind of like the worm but more like flopping all over the place?”

I laughed. “No, but you’re not far off. What you do is you make your body straight with your arms by your side and your feet together, and as you jump into the pool you wiggle your body in like a fish.

A slow smile spread across his face. “Alright, so you want us to salmon into the pool?”

“Yeah! I thought maybe we could have a little competition. All the boys salmon into the pool, and the girls decide who did it best.”

He chuckled. “That sounds fun, but you’re demonstrating.”

I grinned. “Of course! Now go get the others so we can start.”

“I’m on it!”

He ran off, and soon the rest of the islanders wandered over. I explained the move and the competition idea, and they were all on board.

“Okay, so you do it like this.”

As I walked over to the pool I straightened my limbs, took a little hop, and jumped into the air above the water, wiggling around like a salmon jumping up the rapids.

“SALMON!” I shouted, and landed in the pool with a splash as the others whooped and hollered.

I pulled myself out of the pool with a grin.

“Alright, now you guys do it! One at a time, and stay in the water like good little fishies.”

Bobby was the first to go, awkwardly writhing in the air and sending a splash over the side of the pool as he landed.

“Whew! That’s harder than it looks!” he called out as he surfaced. He swam over to the far edge of the pool as he waited for the others to take their turns.

One by one, the boys each jumped in the pool, their bodies jerking, twisting, and squirming as they tried to copy the move with varied levels of success, until they were all in the water.

“And we think the best salmon was… Arjun!”

“Yes!” Arjun slapped the water with the palm of his hand. “See, the Bollywood moves paid off.”

They each climbed out of the pool, grabbed towels, and sat down with their respective partners on the loungers.

_DING!_

“I got a text!” Noah said. “’Islanders, today the girls took on various undercover assignments…’”

The boys looked around at each other in surprise, their jaws dropping as they realized what we had been doing, as the girls all burst into laughter.

“What?”

“’Marisol managed to get Gary to mention his nan five times...’”

Gary looked up in surprise. “Wait, really? I didn’t—oh my god!”

“’Elisa convinced Bobby to bake profiteroles…’”

“Ooh, that was sneaky!” Bobby laughed. He rubbed his hands together. “Technically, they’re not done…”

“Still counts, B,” I winked.

“Wait, what did you do?” he asked.

“You’ll find out.”

“’Priya got Henrik to give her a massage...’”

Henrik shrugged and held up his fingers, wiggling them. “I’m open for business, ladies!”

“’Blake spilled a glass of water onto Rahim’s crotch…’”

Rahim turned to Blake in shock, his mouth dropping open. “Wait, you did that on purpose?”

She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I’m so smooth, aren’t I?”

“’Lottie got Arjun to go back and forth fetching different items for her five times…’”

Arjun jumped to his feet and pointed at Lottie.

“You! You did that on purpose? Did you even twist your ankle?”

She smirked and shook her head. “Nope. Worked like a charm, though.”

“Damnit!”

“’Chelsea planted kisses on each of the boys…’”

Chelsea squealed as the boys looked at her with eyes wide.

“Wait, you did! Holy shit, I didn’t even clue in!”

“’Jo convinced Graham to let her put makeup on him…’”

Graham’s jaw dropped. “So wait, red’s not my colour? You were just trying to get me to put lipstick on?”

“Yup,” she grinned, before shaking her head. “And it really isn’t your colour.”

“’Shannon told Bobby, Arjun, and Noah that she had sex dreams about them…’”

Bobby’s eyes widened as he looked at Shannon. “Fuck off, you were just joking?” She nodded with a cool smirk, and he threw back his head. “Thank god!”

“And finally, Josie managed to get all the boys into the pool…’”

Bobby slung his arm over my shoulders as I grinned. “Well played, Josie. Well played.”

“’#sweetsuccess #missioncomplete’”

“Wow, that’s awesome, girls!”

“Yeah, we had no clue!”

_DING!_

“Oh shit, what now?”

Lottie looked at her phone. “It’s me. ‘Congratulations, girls, on completing your secret missions! At tonight’s recoupling, one of the new girls will get to choose who she wants to couple up with. She’ll also get to make her choice before any of the boys…’”

Elisa and Jo looked at each other in shock. With two extra girls in the villa, whichever girl got to choose would be guaranteed to be safe from being dumped.

“’The public have been voting, and the results will be revealed tonight. #ladiesfirst #choosewisely’”

There was silence as everyone took in this information. With one of the single girls getting first choice, at least one couple would be disrupted.

My stomach twisted into a knot.

_What if whoever wins the vote picks Bobby?_

*********

I stood in between Priya and Lottie as the girls lined up in front of the firepit, holding their hands tightly. The boys sat on the bench, each with room beside them for whichever girl he chose to couple up with.

We waited in silent, nervous anticipation for the text that was guaranteed to shake things up. Anything could happen tonight.

I could be going home. Any one of us could be.

The buzz of a phone finally broke the tension.

“I’ve got a text,” Graham said. “The results of the public vote are in.”

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, although I wasn’t sure which result I was hoping for. Both Jo and Elisa had taken Bobby out on their dates, and even if they weren’t interested in him romantically, he was the safe choice. Picking him wouldn’t be breaking up an already-established couple.

“The girl who gets to choose who she would like to recouple with is…”

Another pause.

“… Elisa.”

_Fuck. She might pick him just to spite me._

Elisa’s face split into a huge smile and she preened, waving her face with her hands.

“Oh my god! How thrilling!”

She stepped forward out of the line of girls and stood to the side, in between the boys and the girls, facing the firepit. I lowered my eyes, unable to stand the smug expression on her face.

“I didn’t think I’d get the chance to do this, but I’m so glad I do, because I know exactly who to pick. This person has made me feel welcome from the day I walked in here, and although I didn’t expect our relationship to develop in the way it has, it has felt totally natural, and I have to with my gut on this one. The person I’d like to couple up with is… Marisol.”

My breath caught in my throat and I looked up at Elisa with wide eyes.

_Marisol?! Did I just hear that right?_

The others began clapping and I absentmindedly joined them as Marisol stepped forward and the two girls wrapped their arms around each other.

_Wait… that leaves an even number of guys and girls. Nobody’s going home?_

Graham was the only one not clapping, sitting instead with his hands clasped between his knees and a frown on his face.

_Huh. I wonder if he was actually developing feelings for her?_

It was the boys’ turn, and Arjun was the first to stand. He smiled.

“This isn’t a hard decision. Since this beautiful woman took a chance on me in Casa Amor, she’s the only person I’ve had eyes for. Almost getting dumped was tough, but we’ve made it through and I’m so excited to finally make it official again. The girl I want to couple up with is Priya.”

I released Lottie’s hand to give Priya a hug.

“Thanks again for keeping him safe for me,” she whispered into my ear.

I gave her a light squeeze in response, and she pulled away to go join him, giving him a passionate kiss as he embraced her.

Gary was next, and he gave a short but sweet speech about Chelsea. She squealed as she jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist.

Bobby stood, and I gave him an encouraging smile as his eyes met mine. He wiped his hands on his pants and took a deep breath.

“I want to couple up with this girl because…” he paused, clearing his throat. “Because she’s been my entire Love Island journey. Even though we haven’t been coupled up most of the time, we’ve been close friends since day one. We’ve been there for each other almost every step of the way, and I couldn’t imagine standing here tonight and choosing anyone else. The girl I want to couple up with is Josie.”

The others must have been clapping, but the noise didn’t register as I walked over to join him, a smile on my face. All I could see was how happy he looked to finally say my name again, to finally have me in his arms as I reached up on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

He left his arm around me as we sat down on the bench, his thumb idly tracing patterns along my arm as we watched the rest of the recoupling. I let out a slow sigh of relief, realizing that for the first time since the night before we left for Casa Amor, I was happy. Bobby pressed a soft kiss onto the side of my head, and I shifted closer to him, feeling his warmth.

The rest of the recoupling passed by predictably and uneventfully. Rahim stuck with Shannon, and Henrik with Lottie. Graham, left with the choice between Jo and Blake, picked the sensible option, leaving Noah to recouple with Blake again.

With the recoupling over, the islanders dispersed into the usual small groups. Bobby stood and held out his hands to help me up from the bench.

“Wanna join me in the kitchen?” he asked.

I raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Is that some sort of proposition? Isn’t it a little soon?”

His cheeks turned red as he let out a breath. “You know what I mean. I’ve got custard chilling in the fridge and pastries to fill.”

“Oh, well in that case, lead the way. But I want first dibs.”

“Sure, I need someone to make sure they’re not poisonous anyway.”

“Hey!” I gave him a playful shove and he laughed.

In the kitchen, he turned on the oven to quickly reheat the pastry balls, then set to work mixing the chocolate topping as I watched. He filled a piping bag with custard and handed it to me.

“You get the honour of filling the pastries with custard.”

“Ooh, exciting! What do I do?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? The pastries already have holes poked in them, so you just find the whole, stick it in, and squeeze.”

He turned his attention back to stirring the chocolate, missing the smirk that fixed itself onto my face.

“Squeeze? Is that all it takes?”

“Yeah, just squeeze it and the cream will come out.”

“Uh huh,” I said, nodding slowly. “Don’t you think this is something you should be doing?”

“Nah, you can do it, it’s fine.”

“I dunno, Bobby, I’m not sure I’ve… got the right tools for that.”

“What do you mean? Just put the tip—” he finally looked up and saw the mischievous look on my face “—oh, fuck.”

I giggled as his face turned beet red.

“Too easy, B. Too easy.”

I began filling the pastries with custard, occasionally letting out another giggle as I remembered his expression.

“Stop it!”

He began drizzling the chocolate over the custard-filled profiteroles, and I picked up the first one, popping it into my mouth. It was delicious.

“Josie!”

“Mmm… sho good, B!”

“You could’ve waited a little bit.”

I finished chewing, then stuck out my tongue. “Get used to it, it’s what you signed up for when you recoupled with me. Unless you want to drag me back to the firepit for a do-over?”

“Absolutely not.”

I eyed the remaining profiteroles greedily, and Bobby reached a hand out, tapping me on the nose.

“Boop!”

My eyes widened. “Is that what _I_ signed up for?”

He grinned. “Yup.”

“I’ll get you back. Sometime when you’re not expecting it. You won’t even know what hit you!”

“Well, I’ll presume it was a boop,” he laughed.

“Dammit.”

We finished filling and drizzling the profiteroles and placed them on a platter. We brought it down to the outdoor lounge, and the others drifted over to enjoy them.

“These are so good, Bobby!”

“They’re amazing! I’ve never had them so fresh before.”

“I guess you’ve got the villa gods to thank for them,” Bobby laughed. “And the girls for smashing their missions today.”

“GIRL POWER!” Chelsea pumped her fist and jumped to her feet. “Woo!”

Noah raised his drink. “To the girls, to Bobby’s baking, and to nobody having to go home tonight.”

Everyone lifted their glasses and joined in the cheer.

When the noise died down, Rahim cleared his throat.

“So, uh, I have something to tell everyone.”

We all turned to him with curious gazes.

He grabbed Shannon’s hand, and she smiled sweetly at him. “I’ve asked Shannon to be my girlfriend, and she said yes.”

There were more cheers as we offered them our congratulations.

“I didn’t think we’d be the first ones,” Shannon said, “but I’m really happy.” She kissed him on the cheek, and he shifted nervously at the attention.

“That’s so sweet, guys!”

_DING!_

“Uh oh.”

“Please don’t tell me Gary spoke too soon about nobody getting dumped tonight,” Lottie scowled.

Marisol pulled out her phone. “’Islanders, the hideaway is open! Please choose one lucky couple to spend the night.’”

“Well, it’s gotta be Rahim and Shannon, right?”

“Right!”

Everyone nodded their assent.

“Gee, thanks guys,” Rahim said, ducking his head. “That means a lot.”

Gary nudged him. “Gotta let you celebrate, right?”

“Gary!” Chelsea’s hands flew to her mouth. “TMI!”

*********

Hours later, we finally headed inside. I changed into a silky tank top and shorts and headed down the stairs and into the bedroom. Bobby was already in our bed, lying on his back with his hands folded on his chest, staring up at the ceiling. I lifted the duvet and sank onto the mattress next to him, and he turned his head towards me with a lazy smile.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“It’s like our first night in the villa all over again,” he said, reaching out and taking a piece of my hair, idly rubbing the ends between his fingers.

“Back to where we started, huh?”

“Except we know each other better now.”

“Yeah.”

The lights went out, and the room went silent except for the sounds of couples making out under the covers.

I giggled. “And there was a lot less kissing that first night.”

Despite the darkness, I could hear the smile in Bobby’s voice. “We kissed that first night.”

“We did, didn’t we? That feels like so long ago.”

He let go of the hair he had still been holding and moved his arm around my back, pulling me closer towards him.

“Roll over.”

I did, and he pressed his chest against my back, his arm wrapped around my waist, holding me close. His breath warmed the skin of my neck as he brought his lips close to whisper in my ear.

“Y’know what they say, spooning leads to forking.”

I burst out laughing, causing a few people to yell at me from the other beds.

“In your dreams, B,” I whispered back.

“How did you know?” he chuckled.

He shifted behind me and suddenly his nose was nuzzling my cheek.

“What the hell?” I giggled, turning my head towards him.

As I did, his lips brushed against mine. It was probably an accident at first, but when they pressed down on my mouth a second time, it was most definitely on purpose.

I let it happen. For a brief moment, I even responded. And then I turned my head away and settled back into the pillow.

“Good night, B.”

He lowered himself behind me and briefly tightened his grip around my waist.

“Night, Josie.”

He fell silent, and soon I could hear his breathing change.

We were finally coupled up again. And though I still had my reservations about how this was going to affect our relationship, I also had to admit that it felt comfortable. It felt… right, somehow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always... kudos/comments are appreciated! 💕
> 
> Also I should note that the "Barcelona is in Italy" conversation was stolen from Season 5 of the show - yes, there are actually people that dumb.


	31. Rain, Rain, Go Away...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorter one this time since I'm breaking up the rain day into 2 chapters. 🙂 Enjoy!

I sat on a barstool in the kitchen, nursing a mug of tea and watching as Bobby stirred porridge in a pan over the stove. His favourite cake-slice pyjama pants were slung low on his hips, his dreads hung over his forehead, and freckles dotted his cheeks and chest in the most adorable way. A strange, warm sensation came over me, making me feel almost like I was seeing him for the first time, and I began to wonder why I had written him off so quickly back in the beginning. I had enjoyed our two-and-a-half days being coupled up together, so why had I been so quick to look elsewhere?

“Why not take a picture, it’ll last longer.”

His voice pulled me out of my reverie and I tilted my head as I lowered my mug to the counter.

“You’ve said that to me before. On our first day here.”

He raised his eyebrows as he looked back at me. “You remember that?”

“It’s funny, I was just thinking about those early days, when we were coupled up.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah… I guess in a way this is like a fresh start for us. We’re back to square one, together.”

“Are you gonna friendzone me again, Josie?” he winked.

I laughed. “I make no promises.”

“Well, if we’re going to start over…” he held out his hand. “Hi, I’m Bobby McKenzie.”

“Josie Hamilton. Pleased to meet you.”

“Gee, so formal.”

“Better than what you said the first time I saw you. Something about beefcake?”

He chuckled as he turned off the stove and took the saucepan off the burner. “Not my finest moment, I’ll admit. I was a bundle of nerves.”

“You didn’t act like it. I liked your confidence.”

His eyes shone as he smiled at me. “Yeah?”

I lifted my mug to my lips with a smile. “Yeah.”

“Noted. Be confident.”

I chuckled softly as he scooped the porridge into two bowls and topped it with brown sugar and fresh berries. He brought the bowls over to the side of the counter where I was sitting, placing one in front of me and then lifting himself onto the stool next to mine, his leg brushing against mine briefly as he did so.

“So, like, what would be your dream date?” he asked. He blew on his porridge in an attempt to cool it down as he waited for my response.

I raised an eyebrow. “Why, are you taking me on a date?”

He laughed. “Well, I’d love to, if I get the chance. In here, but… especially on the outside.”

I smiled and waved at the steam rising up from my bowl as I considered his question.

“Crazy to think we only have a week left in here. If we even make it that long.”

“Are you avoiding the question?”

“No, not on purpose!” I laughed. “The thought just came to mind, that’s all. Let’s see, dream date… I like something low-key, I don’t need anything extravagant or grand gestures or anything—”

“Good,” he said, pretending to wipe sweat off his forehead.

“—but I also like doing fun activities. Dates where you’re just hanging out and having a laugh.”

He grinned as he shifted in his seat to face me, resting his feet on the legs of my stool.

“I think I could come up with some fun dates you’d enjoy.”

“I bet you could,” I replied, a small smile tugging at my lips as I dipped my spoon into the porridge. “What about you? What’s your dream date?”

“An adult ball-pool bar!”

My spoon froze halfway to my mouth as my eyebrows shot up. “Those exist?”

“Yeah! And we’ll play hide and seek in the ball pool pit, but I’ll lose myself and won’t be able to find the surface so you’ll have to rescue me and—”

“You’ve thought this through, haven’t you?”

“Hey, it’s been a lifelong dream!” he rolled his shoulder in a half-shrug. “Er, at least it has since I found out they existed.”

“Well, it does sound kinda fun,” I smiled, placing my hand on his knee. “We’ll see how things go.”

He looked down at my hand, the corners of his lips spreading wider. I quickly pulled my hand back, a blush rising to my cheeks as I tried to regain my composure.

“I guess I’ll take that,” he said. “Either way, I do really want to spend time with you on the outside.”

“We will! I’m looking forward to doing normal life activities again.”

“What, you don’t like lying around a gorgeous Spanish villa in a bikini all day?”

I laughed. “It’s like the vacation that never ends. It’s not like I’m dying to get out of here, it’s just…”

“I know, I get it. It can get a bit much at times.”

I nodded. “Exactly.”

We turned our focus to finishing our breakfast, and then I shooed him away so I could do the washing up, watching him walk away as he went to the gym to hang out with the boys. After putting away the clean dishes, I wandered over to the lawn.

“Josie!” Chelsea waved me over to the beanbags. “Come sit, come sit.”

I dropped onto an orange beanbag next to her pink one.

“That was a good recoupling last night, wasn’t it?” She beamed. “It’s such a relief that nobody had to go home.”

“Yeah, I think it worked out pretty well for everyone.”

“I never dreamed I’d get along with Gary so well. I have so much energy and he’s so laid back, but for some reason it seems to work.”

I smiled. “I’m glad he found someone. I don’t think he and I would have worked out.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, right! I forgot you almost coupled up with him! And you’re back with Bobby now!”

“Yeah, as friends for now, but I’m open to more.”

“Aw, that’s so good to hear.” She shifted in her beanbag, leaning back and getting more comfortable. “I had a dream last night.”

“Oh?”

“We were in this totally different villa, built out of shipping containers, and everyone was with different people.”

“Shipping containers?”

“Weird, right? We didn’t have a pool, we all just hung around this weird sunken pit of lava.”

_Um, okay._

“That’s some dream,” I said.

“Yeah, I woke up with a hot flush!”

“Who was coupled up with who?”

That was encouragement enough for her to launch into a more detailed account of what she could remember. In the dream, Bobby and Gary were together, Noah and Shannon, and Graham and Priya. I idly listened as she described me being a queen and wearing a crown of molten lava, with all the guys worshipping me as their lava goddess. After a while I wasn’t sure if she was still describing her dream, or just imagining things as she went.

“Hey, girls.”

We looked up to see Gary standing over us.

“What’re you up to?”

“Oh, nothing much,” Chelsea smiled. She held out her hand. “Hoist me up, babe, will you?”

Gary stretched out his arm and helped her up, and she turned to me, gesturing with her empty water bottle.

“Sorry, Josie. Visiting the other villa has made me thirsty.”

“No problem,” I smiled back at her, and the two of them started walking away.

“Other villa?” I heard Gary ask.

“Don’t worry about it, hun…”

*********

“I can’t believe it’s raining.”

Just minutes ago, we had been lounging outside in the sun as usual. Now we were huddling in the kitchen under the safety of the overhang, staring out at the rain that was falling steadily from the sky, giving no indication that it would end anytime soon.

“I guess Rocco’s rain dance finally kicked in.”

“This has seriously dampened my mood,” Bobby said glumly, leaning with his elbows on the counter with his head in his hands.

“I forgot what rain looked like,” Lottie screwed her face in disgust. “I wish I could go back to blissful ignorance.”

“I kinda like the rain,” I said, and everyone’s heads turned to stare at me. “What? It makes everything smell fresh and clean.”

“But what are we supposed to do if we can’t sunbathe?” Chelsea pouted.

“We could dance in the rain,” I offered. “Just like those romantic moments in the movies. I’ve always wanted one of those.”

“Oh, me too!”

“But we might get cold!” Bobby’s nose wrinkled and he feigned a shiver. “And we’d get all wet.”

I laughed at him. “C’mon, B, you’re from Glasgow, I’m sure you can handle a bit of rain. It would be fun!”

He shook his head obstinately. “Nope. I’m in Spain now, I like it warm.” He began rubbing his arms. “Come to think of it, it’s getting kind of cold now. Did someone turn the heating down?”

“Let’s go inside,” Noah said. “It doesn’t look like the rain is going to stop anytime soon, so we may as well hang out in the lounge.”

“Hang out… inside?!” Lottie gasped, whipping her head around to grimace at him. “You’re kidding, right?”

“In Spain? During the summer?” Chelsea crossed her arms. “That’s a big holiday no-no!”

“Aw, I always loved it when it rained on holiday as a kid,” Bobby said. “That’s when everyone would get the best games out.”

“We’re not kids anymore, Bobby,” Blake sneered.

I glared at her. “Right, because adults never play games,” I said sarcastically. “Shannon literally plays a card game for a living.”

“This is true,” Shannon nodded matter-of-factly.

_DING!_

“I’ve got a text!” Jo said. “’Islanders, it’s time to put one couple’s relationship to the ultimate test. You must choose one couple to go shopping for snacks tonight. #snackattack #bagforlife’”

“Josie and Bobby!” Priya immediately shouted.

“Aw, I was going to suggest you guys,” I replied.

“Don’t you want to go, Josie?” Bobby asked. “You were just saying you couldn’t wait to do normal life activities again.”

“But shouldn’t one of the couples get a chance to go?”

“Noah and I could go,” Blake smirked.

“I vote for Josie and Bobby!” Chelsea giggled.

“Yeah, me too,” Noah agreed, causing Blake to glare at him. “It’s about time they got to go on a proper date.”

“We haven’t had one either, Noah!”

He shrugged. “They’ve both been through a lot. They deserve to go.”

Gary tapped his knuckles against the counter. “All those in favour of Josie and Bobby having to get wet in the rain while the rest of us stay warm and dry?”

Bobby’s eyes widened as everyone’s hands shot up except Blake’s. “When you put it that way—"

“Too late! Majority rules.”

I grinned. “Thanks, guys! Any requests?”

“Nachos, please,” Blake sulked.

Henrik brightened. “Oh yeah, I want some chocolate!”

“Alright, we’ll keep all that in mind!”

We all headed inside. Bobby went to his cupboard in the bedroom to find a change of clothes, while I ran upstairs. The others filed into the lounge to entertain themselves while we were away.

In the dressing room, I made a beeline for my cupboard and rummaged around until I found a pair of denim shorts and a black crop top. I pulled them on over my bikini, then finger-combed my hair and plaited it. Finally I slipped on a pair of sensible sandals and made my way downstairs where Bobby was waiting by the door in khaki shorts and a black button-up.

“Ready to go shopping?” he grinned.

“Can’t wait!”

He picked up an umbrella that was by the door and opened it up as he stepped through the front door. He held it up over both of us and put his other arm around my waist as we ran to the waiting Jeep.

Safe inside, he shook out the umbrella and closed it, placing it on the floor.

“This is nice,” he said, turning to me with a smile. “It’s almost like getting to go on a date.”

I smirked. “In the real world, going to the grocery store would be a sorry excuse for a first date.”

He laughed. “Good thing we’re not in the real world, then.”

The producer that sat in the front seat asked us not to talk in the car since they couldn’t film, so we spent the rest of the drive in silence, each of us gazing out our windows at the passing scenery.

We reached the store within minutes and again dashed through the rain to the entrance. It was a small store, and we got a few looks from the locals as we walked around with a camera crew in tow.

“I love going to supermarkets in other countries,” Bobby said as he grabbed two baskets and handed one to me. “They’re always way more exciting than your local one back home.”

“I know! It’s fun seeing the different varieties of snacks and cereals, especially.”

We turned down an aisle and I stopped to look at the candy and chocolate bars, trying to figure out what people would want. I grabbed a few, and when I turned back around, Bobby was skipping down the aisle. I stopped to watch him, a small smile on my face. When he got to the end, he planted his feet and slid to a stop, then spun around to skip back in my direction. When he noticed me watching he grinned and slid back towards me.

“It feels so good to be somewhere new, but normal,” he said. “I never thought I’d be so excited to come into a supermarket!”

He started randomly grabbing items off the shelves and dumping them into his basket.

“Wait, what are you doing? I don’t even know what half this stuff is! Are those sardines?”

“Who cares? This is fun! Come on!”

He grabbed my hand and pulled me along down the aisle, and I had no choice but to try to keep up with him. At the end, he stopped abruptly and looked both directions before turning to me and holding his finger to his lips.

“All clear,” he whispered. “Stay close behind me, and don’t make a peep.”

“Roger that,” I played along.

He peeked around the corner again before taking a hesitant step forward. Once he had cleared the aisle, he quickly scurried around the corner, dragging me close behind him. When we made it into the other aisle, he spun to face me and pulled me against him.

“Oof!” I collided with his chest, not expecting the sudden stop. I giggled as I looked up to find him, only to find him smiling down at me with a tender expression in his eyes. He released my hand and brought his own up to my face, drawing his thumb across my lower lip. My giggle caught in my throat and I swallowed, suddenly breathless.

Beside us, someone cleared their throat. I swiftly pulled away from Bobby as my eyes met the wizened pair of a grey-haired Spanish lady. She said something I didn’t understand, then pointed to where Bobby stood.

“I think you’re in her way, Bobby.”

“Oh!”

He shuffled a few feet over, and she grabbed a can from the shelf behind him. She muttered something, then walked off in the other direction.

When she was out of eyesight, we both burst into laughter.

“Alright, alright,” Bobby laughed, “quit horsing around, Josie.”

“Hey!”

“So, what do we need?”

“I’ve got the chocolate. What else is good rainy-day food?”

“Crisps!”

“Oh, right! Blake wanted nachos… and we can see what else there is.”

We wandered the aisles until we found the crisps. I stood in front of the nachos, looking over the options.

“Wouldn’t it be funny if we ‘forgot’ to get Blake her nachos?” I asked.

Bobby chuckled. “It would be worth it for the look on her face.”

I gave him a wicked grin. “Is that a yes?”

“I guess it is.”

I moved on from the nachos and joined Bobby to peruse the other crisp flavours.

“Now, the all-important relationship question is, what’s your go-to packet of crisps?”

“All Dressed,” I said absentmindedly as I grabbed a bag of salt-and-vinegar crisps.

“What the hell is All Dressed?”

I laughed. “Sorry, I always forget. It’s a flavour in Canada. My dad sends it to me, and I always stock up on it when I go back to visit.”

“But what is it?”

“It’s hard to explain the taste. It’s basically a combination of a bunch of different classic crisp flavours, which sounds like it could get weird but it’s actually amazing. It’s the perfect mix of sweet and tangy.”

“Huh. I think I’m gonna have to try it sometime.”

I flashed a grin at him. “Play your cards right, and the next time my dad sends me some, I might be willing to share.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Might?”

“They’re that good.”

“I believe you.” He picked up a bag of cheese-and-onion crisps and dropped it into my basket. “In the meantime, let’s get one of these. Those other ones you got make my mouth hurt.”

I snorted. “You can eat spicy food but can’t handle a little vinegar?”

“Hey, this is a judge-free zone, okay? Now let’s go get the fruits and veggies.”

As he walked away, he swung his basket back and forth, and it collided with a display of crisps, knocking a bunch of packets off the shelf.

“Damnit!” He set down the basket and hurriedly picked up the crisps, setting them back on the display. “My bad.”

I followed him to the produce aisle. He pointed at the aubergines and grinned back at me. I rolled my eyes.

“I really don’t get why aubergine has become the emoji for the… you know…”

“Dick?”

“Shh!!” His eyes widened as he looked around to see if anyone heard. “We’re in a supermarket!”

“I’m quite aware,” I smirked. I picked up an aubergine and waved it in his face, and he jumped back with a yelp.

“Put it back!”

“It’s just a vegetable, Bobby.” I placed it in my basket and started walking towards the fruit, with Bobby trailing behind me.

“You’re not actually gonna buy that, are you?”

“Don’t you think we should?” I turned around and stared at him innocently. “I thought you wanted it.”

“No! Why would you think that?”

“Oh, well you were pointing at it, so…”

“Sheesh, can’t a guy make dumb jokes about aubergines anymore? Besides, if that’s the shape you’ve got down there then something’s gone wrong. And on that whole emoji genitalia subject, we really should be using the cat and rooster to get the message across.”

“Okay, B,” I took the aubergine out of my basket and handed it to him. “Go put this back.”

“Yes! Thank you! I did not want to have to explain to everyone why we brought back an aubergine,” he said as he walked back towards the veggies.

I wandered along the fruit displays, until Bobby was back at my side with a pineapple in his hands.

“Good thing the pineapple isn’t an emoji for anything, right?”

I just snickered and kept walking until I found the strawberries and grabbed a box of them.

“Anything else?”

“Cream for the strawberries?”

“Good idea.”

We made our way to the dairy section to pick up cream, then looked at the contents of our baskets.

“Right, so we’ve got fruit, chocolate, and crisps… anything else?” I asked.

“I think that’s good enough,” he replied. “Who knew food shopping could be such a laugh?”

I made Bobby put away all the extra random items he had picked up, and then we headed to the checkout, where he charmed the cashier with his terrible attempts at speaking Spanish.

“Adios!” he waved before picking up the grocery bags and making for the exit.

It was still raining outside.

“Here,” he handed me the bags and opened the umbrella, then held his hand out to take one of the bags back.

“I’ll carry them, it’s okay.”

“No, let me take one.”

“Bobby, it’s just to the Jeep. You can be a gentleman by holding the umbrella.”

“Fine,” he huffed, and together we ran back to the Jeep, dodging puddles along the way.

A short drive later, we were back at the villa. Again, I insisted on carrying the groceries while Bobby held the umbrella.

There was a large puddle on the drive, and I couldn’t resist. As we approached it and Bobby began to skirt around it, I ran out from underneath the umbrella and jumped into the puddle, sending water splashing into Bobby’s calves.

He yelped and jumped aside, and I grinned back at him as he stared at me in shock.

“You got me wet!”

“So? It’s just water. Didn’t you like puddle-jumping as a kid?”

“…Maybe. But not anymore! Now come on, you’re being rained on.”

“So?”

“The food is getting wet.”

I looked down at the groceries in my arms, which were indeed getting rained on. “Oh, fine,” I pouted. “It’s less fun when you’re on your own, anyway.”

I trudged towards the door. Since my hands were full, I turned and waited for Bobby to catch up and open it. He came up beside me and placed his hand on the handle, but didn’t turn it immediately. I looked up at him curiously to find him biting his bottom lip, staring at the handle with a thoughtful expression on his face.

His eyes shifted towards mine, and there was a sparkle in them as he smiled.

“I have an idea,” he said as he flicked his wrist and pushed open the door.

I took a step inside, but he grabbed my arm to stop me.

“Wait. Put the groceries down.”

I raised my eyebrow, but did as he asked, kneeling to place the bags on the floor just inside the door. I straightened and gave him a questioning look.

He pulled me back outside and closed the door behind me.

“I don’t understand. You just want to hang outside in the rain that you hate?”

He silently took a step back, beckoning for me to follow, which I did. He looked mournfully out at the rain, then at the umbrella above his head, and then he reached up towards the spring mechanism, letting the umbrella collapse.

“What are you doing? You’ll get wet and cold.”

He tossed the umbrella on the ground and held out his hand towards me, his eyes soft and warm as he held my gaze, the raindrops already sprinkling across his face. “May I have this dance?”

My jaw dropped. “What?” I squeaked out.

He shrugged, still holding out his hand. “You wanted your movie moment. Now’s your chance.”

I placed my hand in his and stepped towards him as his other hand encircled my waist and he pulled me closer. I smiled up at him giddily.

“I can’t believe you would do this for me,” I said breathlessly, my voice just above a whisper.

“You’re worth getting a little cold and wet for,” he replied softly as his feet began to move.

It only took a few steps to determine that he was a terrible ballroom dancer.

“Ow!”

“Sorry!”

“No, it’s okay, just—no, other way!”

He tried to twirl me, and I giggled as I collided with his chest.

“Not quite the movie moment you were hoping for, was it?” he asked, the smile evident in his voice.

I grinned up at him and reached up to wrap my arms around his neck.

“Maybe it was a romantic comedy,” I laughed. “It was perfect, B. Thank you.”

He gave me a lopsided grin as his hands found my waist.

“I’m glad,” he said quietly.

We stood there grinning stupidly at each other, not even noticing the rain coming down around us or the way our soaked clothing clung to our skin. His eyes flickered to my lips and back to my eyes, and my breath hitched as I suddenly became aware of how close our faces were. As if by a will of their own my arms tightened around his neck as he drew me closer to him, until our mouths were millimeters apart and I could almost make out the feeling of his breath against my skin.

And then his lips were on mine. Softly, hesitantly at first, then with an unexpected urgency as my eyes closed and I let myself give in to him. We had kissed a number of times before, but somehow everything felt new, like we were kissing for the first time.

A shiver ran down my spine as his hands moved from my sides around to my back, caressing the bare skin between my top and my shorts as he pulled me against him. Raindrops rolled down our faces, entering our mouths as our lips moved against each other. He dragged his tongue along my lower lip, and my fingers tangled into the hair at the nape of his neck as I drew his head down further, letting his tongue brush against mine.

His arms tightened around me, bringing me closer still until there was no space even for air between us. And in that moment, something deep inside me changed. A dam burst, and a wave of feelings I didn’t realize I had crashed over me. My eyes were suddenly opened to the man in front of me, holding me in his arms.

The wind rushed out of me and I pulled away, staring at him as if I had never seen him before.

“What is it?” he frowned, his arms dropping to his sides. “Is something wrong? Was that okay?”

“No, nothing—it’s fine. It was good.”

“Is there something on my face?” He reached up and wiped his cheeks, then looked at his hands.

“What? No.”

“Well, you’re looking at me funny.”

“I just… I don’t know,” I shrugged. “Something’s different.”

“About me?” His brow furrowed. “I’m the same person you woke up next to this morning.”

“No, it’s—it’s me…”

I was confused, not sure what to make of these sudden and unexpected feelings. I had spent almost every day for the past three weeks around this man, sharing a bed with him, kissing him, crying with him, and never once had I considered that my feelings for him went beyond those of a friend. Until now.

He suddenly brightened as the corner of his mouth turning up into a lopsided grin.

“It must have been a magical kiss, then,” he joked.

A small, shy smile tugged at my lips. “Maybe it was.”

“We’re soaked, can we go inside now?”

I laughed as I accepted his outstretched hand, and squealed as he ran towards the villa, pulling me behind him.

He stopped to pick up the forsaken umbrella, then threw open the door and we stumbled inside. We each picked up one of the grocery bags and walked towards the lounge, leaving pools of water behind us.

Bobby turned the handle, the lounge door swung open, and everyone turned to look at us.

“Hey guys, we’re back!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I _might_ have been looking forward to writing this one for a _very_ long time, not gonna lie! Fusebox, I demand you add a gem scene to let us kiss our LIs out in the rain!


	32. Make My Heart Skip a Beat

“Hey guys, we’re back!” Bobby said as we walked into the lounge. “And we’ve brought snacks!”

“Yay!” Chelsea cheered. “It felt like you were gone for hours!”

“Finally,” Blake sneered. “Did you get my nachos?”

Bobby turned to me with a frown. “Did you pick up the nachos?”

“I thought you were getting them,” I replied, looking at him with wide eyes. “Bobby, don’t tell me you forgot.”

He smiled sheepishly, giving me a wink that the others couldn’t see. “Oops, sorry.”

“Ugh,” Blake rolled her eyes. “I knew I should have gone.”

“What did you get?”

“We got chocolate, crisps, fruit…”

“Nice!”

Bobby shivered.

“Why are you guys soaked?” Gary asked. “I thought you had an umbrella?”

“Oh, well, uh…” Bobby rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at me with his eyebrows raised.

“We were just splashing around in the puddles outside,” I smiled. “It was fun!”

“Ugh, gross,” Elisa wrinkled her nose.

“I thought you said you didn’t like rain, Bobby,” Lottie tilted her head as she looked at him curiously.

“I don’t! Josie made me do it—”

“Hey!”

“—and now I’m cold and wet, so I’m gonna go put some dry clothes on before I freeze to death.”

He handed his grocery bag to Henrik, who immediately started digging into it and pulling out the chocolate.

“Score! Thanks, guys!”

Blake huffed and mumbled to herself at the sight of the chocolate.

_Sorry, not sorry!_

“Why don’t we just start with the crisps and chocolate and I’ll put this fruit in the kitchen for later?” I asked, receiving nods of assent from the others.

I followed Bobby out of the room and into the bedroom. He went to his cupboard to find some dry clothes, while I headed out the back door to the kitchen. I pulled the groceries out of the bag, putting the strawberries and cream in the refrigerator and leaving the pineapple on the counter.

When I went back inside, the bedroom was empty. I left the room and climbed the stairs to the dressing room, stopping by the bathroom to pick up a clean towel. The shower was running, and I could faintly hear Bobby humming. I smiled, wrapping the towel around myself as I pulled myself up onto the counter. I bit my lip as I looked at the frosted glass of the shower, my eyes tracing the outline of his naked body, wondering—

_What the hell, Josie?_

I slid off the counter and rushed around the corner into the dressing room, thankful nobody was around to see how pink my face was. I quickly toweled off and changed into a dry bikini, tossing my wet clothing into the laundry hamper. The lounge was air-conditioned, so I pulled on a cropped hoodie and shorts over my swimsuit, then sat down at the vanity to blow-dry my hair. As I sat there, feeling the hot air on my skin, I thought about Bobby, and our kiss – and what it all meant.

_I don’t like him. I can’t. Can I?_

I had felt something during that kiss. I had looked at him in a way I never had before. It was nothing like the instant, intense chemistry I’d had with Lucas. Nor was it like the casual, comfortable feelings I’d had with Henrik. This was deeper somehow, and it scared me.

_I like Bobby. Like, like him._

My feelings had snuck up on me so slowly that I hadn’t recognized them for what they were, but I suddenly realized that they’d been there all along, pushed down and ignored because I couldn’t face the thought that my best friend was more to me than that.

“Hey, you ready?”

I jumped and looked up to find Bobby leaning against the doorjamb, staring at me. I turned off the blow-dryer.

“How long have you been standing there?”

“Not long, but you looked a little spaced out.”

“Yeah, just thinking.” I ran my fingers through my still-damp hair and began plaiting it.

He pushed himself away from the doorframe and dropped onto one of the vanity chairs, resting his elbows on the table and his chin in his hands.

“About what?”

“Nothing,” I said as I picked up an elastic band from the vanity and wrapped it around the ends of my hair. I smiled at him. “Shall we go back downstairs before they eat all the crisps?”

His eyes widened. “They better not eat all my cheese-and-onion!”

He nearly tripped over his own chair as he stood up in a rush and left the room, running down the hallway as I followed, laughing. By the time I reached the lounge he was splayed out on the couch with a bag of crisps in his hand and a blissful expression on his face.

I found an open space on the couch between Priya and Chelsea and sat down.

“So what did you guys do while we were away?”

“Had a massive orgy,” Lottie deadpanned from where she stood by the window, looking mournfully out at the garden.

Bobby sat straight up in his seat and looked at her with wide eyes. “Without us?”

She shrugged. “Sorry, hun.”

“Well, can we have another one?”

I choked back a laugh as Lottie shook her head with a frown.

“Nah, it was a one-time only deal.”

“Dammit!” he sank back into the couch, folding his arms and pouting.

“Why don’t we do something fun?” I suggested.

“Like what?”

I shrugged. “I dunno, but wouldn’t anything beat just sitting around waiting for the rain to stop?”

“There’s nothing we can do while it rains,” Lottie complained.

“That’s rubbish,” Bobby said. “We can play a game!”

“What kind of game? We don’t have any board games or cards.”

“What about… cops and robbers?”

“Really?” Blake sneered. “What are we, children?”

“Okay, bad idea. Knights and dragons?”

“Ugh,” she rolled her eyes as she stood up. “I’m gonna go take a nap.”

_Good riddance._

As she walked away, Bobby stuck his tongue out at her behind her back, drawing giggles from me and Chelsea.

Elisa yawned and cozied up to Marisol. “It’s chilly in here. Anyone feel like grabbing me a blanket?”

Bobby perked up as he looked at her with wide eyes. “Blanket? As in… blanket… fort?”

“Uh, no, that’s not—”

“That’s _genius_!”

“Is it?” She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Well, I’m gonna go get that blanket…”

“Get lots!” Bobby’s eyes started scanning the room, and I could almost see the gears turning in his head. “All the sheets, blankets – anything you can find! This blanket fort is gonna be epic!”

“Um, right. Whatever,” she said as she sauntered out of the room.

Bobby stood to his feet, stroking his chin as he looked at the furniture.

“If we turn these couches around, they would make great walls. We just need to make it big enough to fit everyone inside, and still be able to drape the blankets over…”

“Wait, so are we actually doing this?” Marisol asked, eyebrows raised.

Rahim shrugged. “I’m in. Beats just sitting here doing nothing.”

“Me too!”

Chelsea squealed. “Let’s have a sleepover!”

Everyone got up from the couches and began turning them around. I pushed the ottoman out of the way to create a wide-open space in between the couches.

“I now realize that all the blanket forts I have built over the years have led up to this moment in time,” Bobby said proudly as he surveyed the progress.

“Oh, we’ll need some cute fairy lights!” Chelsea exclaimed. “I can’t resist a cute set of fairy lights, my room back home is covered in them!”

_I bet._

“Good shout,” Bobby nodded, and Chelsea ran out of the room. “Now where are those blankets?”

Elisa hadn’t returned with the blankets, which I assumed meant she wasn’t coming back at all.

“I’ll find some,” Priya offered.

“Great! What else do we need?”

“Are we just going to sit on the floor?”

“We could put the couch cushions on the floor,” I suggested.

“Brilliant idea, Josie,” Bobby smiled at me, and I returned it shyly as butterflies filled my stomach.

_Geez, get it together. I’ve lived with this guy for three weeks and suddenly I’m getting butterflies?_

I lowered my eyes and grabbed a cushion, pulling it off the couch. I passed it to Gary, who was standing in the space between the couches and arranging the cushions on the floor as they were handed to him.

Chelsea came running back into the room. “I got the fairy lights!”

“Um, where did you even get those, love?” Gary asked.

“Never mind that, just help me put them up!”

Chelsea handed him the bundle of lights and he began stringing them over the fort as she directed him. Meanwhile Priya came back into the room with her arms loaded full of sheets and blankets.

“Got ‘em!” she grinned. “I raided the linen cupboard, so don’t worry, these are clean.”

“Good, I wasn’t looking forward to hanging out under someone else’s sweat-soaked sheets,” Marisol cringed.

Shannon took the blankets and began spreading them out over the couch cushions, creating a cozy atmosphere.

“Alright, let’s get the roof up,” Bobby said.

He picked up a bedsheet by one edge and shook it out. Henrik picked up the other side and together they slid it over the backs of the couches. Arjun and Graham did the same with the next sheet, and soon the fort was fully constructed. Chelsea plugged in the lights, and one by one we crawled through the entrance.

“Wow, this is so cozy!” Jo exclaimed.

“Well done, guys!” Bobby grinned as he took a seat next to me. “This is a great blanket fort. My crowning achievement.”

It was a tight squeeze with all of us in there, so we had to squish close to our partners. I found myself pressed right up against Bobby’s side, my skin tingling at his nearness. I lay my head against his shoulder, and he responded by putting his arm around me, his hand resting casually on my hip.

As the others started talking and laughing, my mind wandered, distracted by the warm touch that was nearly burning into my skin. Pressed up as close as I was against Bobby’s side, I felt something stir inside of me that shocked me with how sudden and strong it was.

I tensed and pulled away abruptly, and Bobby turned to face me with his eyebrows raised.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Um, yeah,” I replied, tugging at my hoodie. “Just getting a little warm, is all.”

Lottie sat up straighter, her eyes wide. “It _is_ getting warm!”

She crawled on her hands and knees to the fort entrance and disappeared.

“Guys, the sun’s out! It stopped raining!”

“Yay!” Chelsea exclaimed, immediately crawling out to join Lottie. The others shrugged their shoulders and followed.

Bobby sighed. “Well, it was fun while it lasted.”

He reluctantly pulled his arm away from me and leaned forward to start crawling. I put my hand on his shoulder and tugged him back, and he turned his head to look at me questioningly.

“We can stay here for a bit,” I said. “If you want.”

His eyes brightened as he sat back.

“Really?”

“Yeah, why not? We put all that effort into building this, we may as well use it a little longer.”

He laid back among the cushions and put his hands under his head as he grinned at me.

“You’re the best, Josie.”

“I know,” I smirked. I stretched out on my stomach beside him and propped myself up on my elbows, then started fiddling with the tassels on one of the blankets.

“So what do you want to do?” he asked.

_Make out._

_Shit, where did that thought come from?_

“Um… I dunno, what do you wanna do? You’re the blanket fort king.”

“Hm, let me think.”

He was squinting and biting his lower lip, and he looked so damn cute that it was all I could do not to grab his face and smash our lips together.

_I should probably tell him._

“Bobby…”

“Hold up, I’m thinking. It hurts.”

“Bobby.”

“Yeah?” He turned his head to look at me.

“I—”

“Josie? Bobby?” Chelsea’s voice sounded just outside the fort. “Are you guys in there?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, Chels, what’s up?”

She poked her head in under the blankets. “The rest of us were just going to get into the fruit you guys bought, and we noticed you were missing. So I thought I’d come find you!”

_Gee, thanks._

“Okay, we’ll be right there,” Bobby smiled, and she beamed at him before crawling back out. He turned back to me. “Sorry, what were you gonna say?”

“Never mind.” I lifted myself up onto my hands and knees and crawled towards the opening. “It’s not important.”

I pushed aside the sheet that was covering the entrance and blinked at the brightness of the lounge. I stood up and Bobby tumbled out just behind me.

“I’m definitely sleeping in there tonight,” he said as he got to his feet.

“What, sick of sharing a bed with me already?” I smirked.

His eyes widened. “What? No! I just—” he looked ruefully at the fort, then back to me with his lower lip sticking out. “Josie, will you sleep with me in the blanket fort tonight?”

I crossed my arms and pretended to be serious. “I dunno, Bobby, one of the other couples might want to use it for some… privacy…”

“In _my_ fort? Absolutely not!”

I laughed. “Then we’ll just have to make sure we claim it first, won’t we?”

His face brightened. “So you will?”

“Maybe.” I winked at him, then opened the lounge door and stepped out into the hallway.

He followed me through the bedroom and outside where the others were hanging out on the outdoor couches snacking on the fruit we had purchased.

“Ah, warmth!” Bobby closed his eyes and lifted his arms towards the sun.

_Funny how they all complained about there being nothing to do inside, but now they’re doing the exact same thing outside…_

“The strawberries and cream were a good shout,” Marisol said as we approached.

I gave her a brief smile of acknowledgement as I took a seat with Priya, Chelsea, and Lottie, while Bobby went over to sit with some of the other guys. I listened as Lottie told a story about the time one of her friends tried to scare her by putting a tarantula in her bathtub.

“… well that made me jump, and I ended up throwing the spider at his face. I ended up adopting the spider. His name is Clive and he’s still going strong.”

“Oh my god!” Chelsea squealed. “You have a pet _spider_? Who’s looking after it while you’re here?”

“Hey, Josie!”

I looked up to see Bobby looking at me with a mischievous smirk on his face.

“Can I try and get this strawberry in your mouth?” he asked.

“Um… like, by throwing it?”

“Yeah!” He dipped the strawberry into the cream and held it up to his face, squinting as he took aim.

I smirked. “£100 says you miss.”

He lowered the strawberry and acted like he was shocked. “So little faith!”

“Alright, let’s see your best shot.”

I opened my mouth wide and he aimed again.

“Aim, and… fire!”

The strawberry went flying, bits of cream dropping from it as it sailed over my head.

“Ow!”

“Oops!”

I turned around to see a red-faced Blake staring daggers at Bobby.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Erm… sorry, I didn’t mean—”

“You never do, do you? Ugh, you’re such a child.”

“Shut the fuck up, Blake,” I cut in, rolling my eyes. “We get it, having fun is beneath you.”

“That’s not—”

“Save it for people who actually give a shit.” I turned my back on her, and she huffed but didn’t press the matter.

“Ugh, there’s cream in my hair,” I heard her say, her voice getting further away as she walked towards the villa.

Bobby looked at me sheepishly. “I guess I owe you £100.”

“Are you kidding me?” I grinned. “Your aim was perfect.”

His laughter was interrupted by the sound of a phone.

“I got a text!” Lottie said. “’Islanders, today you will take part in a boys-vs-girls sexy dance off. The winning team will be the one that raises their opponents’ heart rates the highest.’”

“This should be a laugh!”

“Woah, okay!” Chelsea clapped excitedly. “I need to get my dancing gear on!”

*********

I took a seat on the bench and tried to still my heart rate as I waited for the first boy to come down. A heart rate monitor was strapped around my wrist, recording every beat of my pulse.

_Why am I so nervous when it’s not even our turn yet?_

“Where are the boys at?” Chelsea asked, craning her neck to see the villa.

“They’re up there,” Priya replied, pointing at the roof terrace.

We all looked, and sure enough, we could see the indistinct silhouettes of some of the boys as they looked down at us.

“This is so tense! My heart is already beating so fast!”

_At least I’m not the only one…_

A heavy, sultry beat started playing and we all sat up straighter in our seats as we turned to see Noah coming towards us. He was wearing black trousers, sunglasses, and a bowtie, but was shirtless, his oiled-up skin gleaming under the villa lights. He sauntered up to the firepit and, starting at one end of the bench, made his way around the circle, spending a few moments dancing somewhat awkwardly in front of each girl.

“Look, but don’t touch, girls,” Blake smirked.

_As if any of us would want to after you’ve had your hands on him._

When he got to Blake, his hands travelled to his hips and in one smooth motion he ripped his trousers off, much to the delight of the girls. He gyrated his hips in front of her and she ran her hands down his abs before he moved on to the next girl.

Finally he completed his dance and wordlessly made his way back to the villa.

The music changed, and Gary ran out next, dressed in a hardhat, jeans, and suspenders.

“Oi, ladies!” he grinned, placing his hands on his hips and rolling them. “Did anyone call for… a crane?”

“Oh, here’s my boy!” Chelsea clapped. She cheered loudly as he strode up to her.

“Watch me sweat for you, baby,” he said in a low voice as he placed his arms on the back of the bench on either side of her, trapping her between them. She squealed and reached up to kiss him as he thrust his hips and shimmied in front of her.

He pushed himself away from her and took his time dancing in front of each of the other girls before returning to Chelsea, swooping her up into his arms as she screeched and giggled. He ran away from the firepit and finally let her down, giving her a quick kiss before running back to the villa.

Chelsea fanned her face with a dazed smile as she returned to the bench.

“That was lush!”

Elisa came out next, having volunteered to join the boys’ team. She was dressed as a sexy nurse, and seemed to enjoy dancing on each of us as much as the guys had, giving special attention to Marisol.

She retreated into the darkness and my attention was caught by a figure slowly strutting towards us. Even before he stepped into the light I knew by the tricorn hat on his head exactly who it was.

_Bobby._

I bit my lip as I took in his pirate costume. He wore a loose white shirt over tight black trousers with a large belt buckle, and calf-high boots on his feet. Loosely strapped around his hips was a curved sword that swayed with each step he took. I looked up at his face to find that he wore black eyeliner smudged around his eyes, and they were focused solely on me.

_Good god, he has never looked so sexy._

Time seemed to move in slow motion as he stepped onto the deck, finally breaking eye contact as he moved to dance in front of Jo, who sat on the edge of the bench. I watched jealously as he danced for each girl, surprised at his smooth movements as he alternated between gyrating and thrusting his hips. He pulled out the sword and started using it as a prop, stroking it along the girls’ thighs before tossing it aside.

When he came to where I sat he merely took his hat off his head and placed it on mine before moving on to Priya without even a second glance. Somehow that just made my heart pump even wilder, anticipation building within my belly.

Finally he reached the other end of the bench and spun on his heels as he met my gaze again and sauntered back over to me. His hands came up to his shirt and I bit back a gasp as he ripped it apart and threw it off his body. He stepped in front of me, straddled my legs, putting one knee up on the bench beside me and slowly rolling his hips.

My breath caught in my throat as I gazed up at him, his eyes boring deep into my own. He took hold of my hands and placed them on his chest, and I ran my fingers down his sweaty skin, feeling the strong muscles hidden beneath.

_Damn._

All too soon, he gave me a final wink and walked away, and I took a deep breath as my hand came up to my chest. My heart was beating wildly, and I blew the air out of my cheeks with a sigh.

Priya nudged me and leaned over to whisper in my ear.

“That was hot.”

I turned to her and she winked, before jerking her chin towards the villa, where Arjun was coming out in full Bollywood garb.

“This should be fun.”

I watched half-heartedly as Arjun combined a striptease with his favourite Bollywood dance moves, throwing layers of clothing off one by one as he moved around the circle. I was still distracted by thoughts of Bobby and the effect he’d had on me as the rest of the boys came through – first Henrik dressed as a fireman, then Graham in a gladiator outfit that left little to the imagination, and finally Rahim impressing the girls with some upside-down twerking in a sailor costume.

The music faded, it was our turn. We headed upstairs to the dressing room while the boys went outside to wait for us.

“That was hot!” Chelsea exclaimed as we hurried into the room.

“We need to top that,” Priya said as she made a beeline for the costumes. “Those boys were sexy, but we can win this thing.”

“My heartrate still hasn’t gone down!” Jo laughed, placing her hand on her chest.

Priya sorted through the costumes and picked out a black leather corset with matching pants.

“Dibs on this!” She checked the tag. “They might even fit me!”

“Oh look, there are even accessories,” Shannon said as she pulled out a police costume with handcuffs and a nightstick.

“Is there a whip? I need a whip.”

I began flipping through the rack, looking for the perfect outfit.

_Angel? Nah. Schoolgirl? Definitely not. What is this one even supposed to be? Pass._

“Where’s the witch costume?” Lottie asked, frantically pushing costumes aside. “Josie, do you see a witch costume?”

“Nope,” I replied. “Maybe try something from your cupboard?”

“I can’t, I’ve worn everything already.”

“Sorry, I don’t see—”

I moved a cheerleader costume aside, and there it was – the perfect costume.

_Bobby will love this._

“Did you find it?”

“Hm?”

“The witch outfit.”

“No, sorry, Lozza.”

“Damnit.”

I hastily changed into the outfit and gave Priya a nudge.

“Tie me up, babe?”

She laughed. “Are you talking about your dress, or are you trying to get kinky with me?”

I snorted. “Just the dress, for now.”

She pulled the strings of the corseted dress tight as I looked myself over in the mirror. The dress had a low-cut V neckline, and together with the corset it pushed up my breasts and made my cleavage look amazing. The top was made of brown faux leather with a bit of lacy white fabric peaking over the top, ribbon lacing down the centre, and a burgundy, short, layered skirt flowing from the waist. A brown buckled belt, tall brown boots, and brown tricorn hat completed the outfit. I was the sexy wench to Bobby’s pirate.

“What do you think of this one, Josie?” Lottie asked.

I looked over to see her modeling lacy white lingerie with angel wings.

“Um… it’s very…”

“Unexpected?” she smirked. “Gotta keep people on their toes sometimes, ya know?”

“I think Henrik will love it,” I said truthfully.

“I know,” she smirked again and turned around to touch up her makeup.

I looked around the room to see what the other girls had chosen. Chelsea was dressed as a cheerleader and was practicing with her pompoms, Blake was appropriately wearing a devil costume, Jo wore a striped referee top with short shorts, and Marisol was some sort of sexy librarian or office worker.

When everyone was ready, we headed out onto the roof terrace to watch. I could see the boys looking up at us, trying to see our outfits, but I knew that they would only see our silhouettes. I took off my hat to make sure Bobby didn’t see it until I was ready.

“I’ll go first,” Blake said, smoothing her hands over her outfit. She strode confidently back into the dressing room and soon we saw her emerge from the villa as the music began to play.

She sauntered up to the firepit and began swaying seductively in front of Graham, slowly moving down the row of guys. When she got to Bobby, I could tell she was putting in extra effort, probably trying to make me jealous. Bobby just sat there disinterestedly, staring at his fingernails.

_Tough luck, bitch._

She finished her routine with Noah, then ran back upstairs.

“Smashed it,” she said as she walked out onto the terrace, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

_You wish._

Chelsea went out next, and her dance was more adorable than sexy as she bounced around and flounced her pompoms, but she looked like she was having a blast.

Marisol, Jo, and Shannon took their turns, all of them dancing well but nothing special.

“You’re up next,” Priya whispered as she elbowed me.

She gave me an encouraging smile as I left the terrace. I gripped tightly onto the handrail as I walked down the stairs on shaky legs, suddenly nervous.

I took a deep breath as I opened the door to the yard.

_Forget the cameras. Just have fun with it._

I strode towards the firepit, letting my hips sway as I stepped into the light. I immediately sought out Bobby, his eyes widening and a surprised grin crossing his face as he noticed my outfit.

 _‘Holy shit_ ,’ he mouthed, his eyes travelling over me hungrily as he sat up straighter in his seat.

A rush of warmth came over me and any nerves I had melted away as I gave him a smirk, breaking eye contact as I turned around and dropped into a low squat, touching myself all over as I slowly moved upwards and finally giving my booty a little shake. The boys whooped, the sound giving me an extra confidence boost as I faced them and strutted over to one end of the bench.

I put my arms on the back of the bench on either side of Graham, giving him a full view of my cleavage as I slowly rolled my hips a few times before stepping away. I spun towards Rahim, turning around and hovering just above his crotch, gyrating my hips.

I moved on to Gary and sat on his lap, straddling him. I threw the hat off and ran my fingers through my hair before placing my hands on his shoulders and leaning towards him, ghosting my breath on his neck.

“Hot damn, Josie,” he moaned, and I slowly grinded against him before getting up.

Bobby was next in line and I met his gaze, holding it as I reached out with my index finger and stroked it along the side of his jaw. He swallowed, and I stepped past him, still looking back at him over my shoulder as I dropped onto Noah’s lap. I winked at him before turning my attention to Noah, running my fingers down his bare chest. His eyes were glued to my breasts, so I shimmied my shoulders, letting them bounce in his face.

I smoothly rolled off him and onto Arjun, repeating some of my earlier moves before dancing for Henrik and Elisa.

Finally, I strode purposefully back to Bobby with one hand on my hip. With the other I traced my thumb over his lips as I stood over him, then lowered my hand down his chest and abs toward his trousers. I hooked my fingers into the waistband and tugged him towards me as I swung a leg over his thighs and straddled him. I grabbed his hands and placed them on my hips, grinning wickedly at him as my hands found his abdomen again and slowly began moving upwards, feeling every twitch of his muscles beneath them.

I looked into his eyes and found them burning with desire, his pupils blown as he returned my gaze. I bit my lip and he groaned as I leaned towards him. I began leaving a trail of soft kisses along his skin, starting at his collarbone and moving up his throat, feeling him swallow hard beneath my lips. His throat vibrated with his moans of pleasure and his grip tightened on my hips as I made my way upwards towards his jaw. My hands came up to cup his cheeks and I let my lips hover just above his, the pause almost painful as both our breaths hitched in anticipation.

The sounds around us melted away and it was just him and me as our lips finally touched and I claimed him as my own. One of his hands curled around my waist as the other traced up my spine, pulling me closer before tangling into my hair as the kiss deepened. My tongue slid over his as I deliberately rolled my hips against him, feeling how hard he was beneath me.

The sounds of the others’ cheers finally reached my ears and I realized my song was winding down. I reluctantly pulled away, my chest heaving as I panted breathlessly. I wasn’t sure whose heart was racing faster at this point, my own or the guys’.

I got up from Bobby’s lap and gave him one more long, lingering look, biting my bottom lip as I took a few steps backwards, before turning and running away.

As I entered the bedroom, I barely even registered Lottie passing me on her way outside. I leaned against the wall, hand against my chest as I fought to catch my breath.

_That was… intense._

I left the bedroom to head back upstairs, my legs feeling like jelly as I gripped the handrail and forced them upwards. I finally made it to the roof terrace, where the girls were watching Lottie’s performance.

At the sound of the door opening, Priya turned to me with a shit-eating grin on her face.

“What was that?” she smirked.

I gave her a small smile, trying to play it cool as I dropped onto the bench and wiped the sweat from my brow.

She didn’t give up, coming over to sit next to me on the bench.

“C’mon, spill the beans. That didn’t look like a lap dance you give to a _friend_. And that kiss? Damn! Not gonna lie, I was kind of getting jealous.”

“Jealous of me?”

“Jealous of Bobby!”

I chuckled. “If you want me to kiss you like that, all you need to do is ask.”

“I might take you up on that,” she grinned. “But don’t think you can get away with changing the subject! What went on between you two today?”

“Nothing, really,” I tried to say, although I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks. “We just had a nice time together.”

“Nice time, my ass. You were all over him down there.”

I lowered my eyes and took the hem of my skirt between my fingers, needing to do something with my hands.

“C’mon, Josie, you can talk to me.”

“Priya, it’s your turn!” Chelsea interrupted.

I let out a sigh of relief. I didn’t know why I wasn’t ready to say anything to Priya, especially since I had just effectively displayed my feelings for all to see. There was something about putting it into words that made it seem so much more real.

_You just made out with him in front of everyone. How much more real can you get?_

Priya stood up, slung her whip over her shoulder, and pointed at me.

“Don’t think you’re getting out of this just because I have to go whip these boys into shape.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Just don’t use that whip on me, okay?”

She grinned. “If you don’t tell me what’s going on, you’ll leave me no choice.”

She turned and I smacked her bum as she started to walk away.

“Don’t threaten me with a good time,” I said, and she winked at me over her shoulder before disappearing into the villa.

I went over to the railing as Lottie joined us on the terrace, and all of us watched, entranced by Priya’s provocative movements as she danced for each guy, using her whip and her other assets to perfection.

“She’s good,” I murmured to no one in particular.

“Mmhmm,” Chelsea nodded. “I’m gonna ask her to teach me.”

The music died down and we all cheered as Priya ended her dance by sitting on Arjun’s lap and pulling him into a deep kiss.

“Come on, let’s get down there for the results!”

We filed down the stairs and outside towards the firepit, and butterflies fluttered in my belly as I looked up to see Bobby’s eyes on me.

“Hi,” I said shyly as I took my seat beside him, and immediately his arm came around me and he pulled me close.

“Hey,” he replied, before planting a kiss on the side of my head. “You were amazing.”

I blushed as I smiled up at him. “So were you.”

A member of the production team came over and handed Priya a gold sparkly envelope before scurrying away. Priya stood in front of the fire and opened it up.

“Results are in,” she said. “Blake, your heartrate was raised the most by… Arjun!”

“What?” Blake frowned. “That’s crazy!”

“Can’t say I blame you,” Priya grinned, before continuing. “Chelsea, your heartrate was raised the most by… Gary!”

“Yay!” Chelsea squealed, throwing her arms around Gary’s neck.

“Jo, your heartrate was raised the most by… Graham.”

“Alright!” Jo smiled, placing a hand on Graham’s thigh.

“Josie, your heartrate was raised the most by…” she looked up and winked at me, “Bobby.”

His arm tightened around me and I looked up at him with a small smile.

“Aw, I made your heart race,” he whispered in my ear.

“Shut up,” I said, giving him a light jab with my elbow.

“Lottie, your heartrate was raised the most by… Henrik.”

“Wow, really?” Henrik grinned, looking surprised. “That’s awesome, babe!”

“Marisol, your heartrate was raised the most by… Bobby.”

Marisol’s head snapped up in shock. “What?”

“That’s what it says,” Priya smirked.

“Unbelievable,” Marisol groaned, shaking her head.

Priya looked back down at the envelope. “My heartrate was raised the most by Arjun, of course,” she grinned at him. “And Shannon, your heartrate was raised the most by… Rahim.”

“Of course it was,” Shannon smiled, gripping Rahim’s hand tightly.

“Now it’s the boys’ turn. And Elisa, of course,” Priya said. “Arjun, your heartrate was raised the most by… Priya!”

She looked up and smirked at him as he gave her one of his signature cheeky winks.

“Bobby, your heartrate was raised the most by…” her wide grin returned, “Josie!”

“It would be pretty crazy if it wasn’t,” Chelsea said. “That was spicy!”

“I didn’t need a heartrate monitor to tell me that,” Bobby grinned.

I felt the heat rush to my cheeks again as everyone looked at me knowingly, and I buried my face in my hands. “Ah, stop!”

With a laugh, Priya moved on. Elisa’s heartrate was raised the most by Marisol, Gary’s, Henrik’s, and Noah’s heartrates were raised most by Priya, Graham’s by me, and Rahim’s by Shannon.

“Finally, the team that raised the opposing team’s heartrate the most, and therefore, the winning team, is… the girls!”

“Woohoo!”

The girls all cheered, while the guys looked at each other and shrugged.

“I’d say that’s all down to Priya and Josie,” Graham said, and a number of the other guys nodded.

“You were so sexy,” Bobby murmured in a low voice.

Before I could respond, someone’s phone chimed.

“Was that a text?”

“Ooh, do the girls get a prize?”

“It was mine!” Jo said as she pulled out her phone. “’Islanders, the public have been voting—”

“Oh, no,” someone groaned.

“—for the most compatible couples. The couples with the fewest votes risk being dumped from the villa immediately. #balanceitout’”

_Oh, fuck._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol so this day is taking forever to get through, it's now 3 chapters instead of the usual 1-2! Lucky you guys, am I right?
> 
> kudos/comment if you're enjoying, I _love_ to hear from you!


	33. Blanket Forts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sooooooo much to Kat 🐱❤ for her wonderful help on this chapter!! It was much needed, and as always, you delivered 🔥

“’… the couples with the fewest votes risk being dumped from the villa immediately. #balanceitout’”

_Oh, fuck._

There was a collective gasp as the islanders stared at each other in shock.

“I can’t believe this,” Rahim shook his head. “It’s so sudden.”

“Way to ruin a good evening,” Graham frowned, his arms folded across his chest.

_DING!_

Bobby pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen.

“’In no particular order, the three couples voted least compatible, and therefore vulnerable, are…’”

_DING!_

Across the firepit, Arjun picked up his phone. Bobby set his down, and in its place his hand found mine. I squeezed it tightly, my heart pounding.

_It’s gonna be us._

“’Graham and Jo.’”

_DING!_

“’Noah and Blake.’”

_Big surprise there._

Blake scoffed. “You’ve gotta be joking,” she mumbled.

_DING!_

My stomach clenched. I shut my eyes tight, holding my breath as I waited.

“’Henrik and Lottie.’”

_What?!_

My eyes snapped open and my jaw dropped as I stared at Lottie and Henrik in shock. Her face had gone even paler than usual as Henrik looped his arm around her, holding her close and kissing her on the side of her head.

I looked up at Bobby.

“We literally just coupled up yesterday, as a friendship couple,” I whispered. “How are we not in the bottom three?”

He shrugged, but a hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

“I guess the public rates us. That’s neat.”

“But—”

_DING!_

This time, it was my phone. I extricated my hand from Bobby’s and picked it up.

I cleared my throat. “’The couple with the fewest votes, and therefore dumped from the island is… Noah and Blake.’”

It took all of my willpower not to let a huge smirk cross my face while everyone’s eyes were still on me, but somehow I managed it.

“Wait, that’s it?” Blake asked, her hands placed firmly on her hips. “We’re dumped, just like that?”

“That’s what the text said, darling,” Priya rolled her eyes. “It was nice knowing you.”

_Not._

“I don’t believe this!”

“C’mon, Blake,” Noah said, placing his hand on her arm. “Anyone can see we’re not compatible.”

She shook his hand off her and glared at him. “No kidding.”

“I just wanna say, guys,” he addressed the rest of us, “it’s been a pleasure getting to know you all. I’m okay with being dumped tonight. Things haven’t gone the way I would have hoped in here, but it’s my time to leave and I’m ready.”

“I’m not,” Blake muttered under her breath.

_DING!_

“Oh no, another one?”

Chelsea gasped and trembled as she read the text. “’Islanders, there will be one more couple leaving the villa tonight. Their fate is now in your hands. In your couples, please discuss which of these two couples you wish to save and text in your decisions.’”

_Oh, shit._

“This is the worst!”

“How do we choose?”

Bobby’s hand covered mine, and I lifted my eyes to his.

“C’mon,” he said, “let’s go discuss this.”

I nodded and let him pull me up from the bench, following him to the poolside and lowering myself beside him on a lounger.

“It’s gotta be Lottie,” we both said at the same time, and I blinked back a tear as I smiled up at him.

“That was easy,” he grinned. “I guess we’re compatible, after all.”

I laughed in spite of the situation.

“Do you wanna do the honours?” he asked, holding his phone out to me.

“No, you put it in,” I replied.

“Oh, I’ll put it in, alright,” he smirked.

“Bobby!” I shoved him and he tumbled off the lounger, giggling as he rolled onto his back.

He held his phone up to his face and squinted as he typed in our vote.

“Done.”

“Alright, let’s head back.”

“You sure?” he asked, smirking as his gaze raked over the sexy wench outfit I was still wearing. “Maybe we have time for a replay of the challenge…”

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t wipe the grin off my face.

_I still haven’t told him I like him. Maybe he got the hint during the challenge? Is now a good time?_

“Josie! Bobby!”

I looked up to find Priya waving us over to the firepit, where everyone else was already assembled. I sighed.

_I guess it’ll have to wait._

We stood up and as we began walking back to the others, I slipped my hand into his. I could sense him turn his head towards me as his steps briefly faltered, but he quickly recovered and moved closer, sending tingles shooting up my spine as our arms brushed against each other.

We reached the firepit and wordlessly took our seats, but not before I caught Priya and Arjun giving us knowing looks. I rolled my eyes and looked towards the two couples that stood in front of the firepit, each of them hand-in-hand as they awaited news of their fate.

_DING!_

Rahim’s shoulders dropped as he realized it was his phone, and he fumbled around in his pockets before coming up with it. “’Islanders, the votes are in. The couple with the fewest votes and therefore dumped from the island is… Graham and Jo.’”

“I can’t believe it,” Jo frowned. “I feel like I just got here.”

Graham nodded his head as he folded his arms across his chest. “I understand it was a hard decision, but I believe you all made the right choice.”

He turned to Henrik and Lottie and held out his hand, only for Henrik to ignore it and pull him into a hug instead. The rest of us took that as our cue and got up to surround the couples, giving each of them hugs.

“I’m glad you’re staying,” I whispered to Lottie.

She grinned back at me. “We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?”

“This is rubbish,” Gary muttered.

We eventually made our way inside, where the two dumped couples packed their suitcases, then we went to the front entrance for a final goodbye.

I gave Jo a hug, then stood back and watched as Bobby gave hugs to Noah and Graham.

“Thanks, guys,” Graham said, trying to remain composed. “Honestly, it’s been amazing meeting you all.”

“It’s been great meeting you, mate,” Gary replied as they clasp hands and pat each other on the back.

Graham turned to me with a smile. “This maybe isn’t the outcome I had hoped for, but thanks for your advice in Casa Amor.”

I smiled at him and nodded my head towards Jo. “Did you get what you came for?”

He looked over to where Jo was hugging the other girls. “Yeah, I think so. We’ll see how things go.”

“Then I’m glad,” I replied, placing my hand on his arm. “I may not have had the right motives, but it seems to have worked out for you both.”

“Thanks,” he said again, before moving away.

Blake cleared her throat. “I just want to say that I’m so happy to have met you all, and that I had a chance to be here,” she said sweetly.

_Fake bitch._

She turned an icy glare in my direction. “I just wish certain people hadn’t been so jealous and vindictive towards me, or things might have worked out differently.”

I nearly choked at her words and bit back a laugh. “Jealous? Vindictive? Oh, honey.”

Lottie took a step forward and shoved her index finger in Blake’s face. “You know what, Blake? We’re all sick of your petty shit, and all I can say is, good riddance!”

Blake’s eyes widened as she took a step back. Her mouth opened and closed, nothing coming out.

“Yeah!” Chelsea said, clenching her fists at her side. “You’ve always been a—a salty—caramel—sucker!”

Noah stepped in between Blake and the other girls.

“Look, girls, can we not do this?” He turned to me. “Josie, I’m sorry. I never expected all this when I picked her, and if I could—”

“It’s okay, Noah,” I said softly, smiling at him. “I understand that you were in a tough position.”

He hung his head. “I know I made a mess of things, right from day one. Sometimes I wonder…”

“Don’t worry about it, bud,” Bobby said, clapping him on the shoulder. “We’ve all got regrets about one thing or another.”

“Thanks,” Noah said gratefully. “Now I think it’s time for us to get going.”

The four dumped islanders turned and began walking down the driveway, Jo and Graham holding hands, while Noah and Blake kept their distance from each other.

As I watched, an arm came around my shoulders, and I looked up to see Bobby looking down at me, his eyes full of concern.

“You alright?” he asked, jerking his chin towards the departing figures. “After all that?”

“Yeah,” I smiled. “Just glad she’s finally gone.”

We went back into the villa, and as the others turned to go back outside for the evening, my eyes flickered over to the lounge door. I stopped.

“Bobby…”

“Yeah?”

“The blanket fort is still up.”

The corners of his lips turned up as he looked at me.

“I’m listening.”

I laughed. “We got interrupted earlier, and I just think maybe it would be nice to spend time together, just the two of us.”

His smile spread into a grin.

“I’d like that. And—” his eyes lit up “—that means we can claim it to sleep there before anyone else does!”

I laughed again. “Alright, you go claim it, I’ve got a few things to get first, okay?”

“Right! See you in a few!”

I watched as he marched excitedly over to the lounge and entered it, then I headed for the supply cupboard where I knew some of the challenge supplies were kept. I found what I was looking for, then went upstairs to freshen up.

When I returned to the lounge, I found that Bobby had turned the main lights off and the fairy lights on, creating an ethereal glow in the room. I hung one of the chalkboards that we used in challenges over the outside doorknob, then closed the door behind me and crawled into the fort.

Bobby was lying on his back, his hands behind his head as he stared up at the fairy lights hanging above him. He had remained shirtless after the challenge, wearing just the tight black pants from his costume. Combined with the black eyeliner that was still smudged around his eyes, and the low light of the fort, he looked like a sexy rock star.

I smiled at the thought and my pulse quickened as he shifted his head to look at me.

“Hey, you,” he smiled lazily.

I crawled next to him and stretched out onto my stomach, crossing my arms in front of me and resting my head on them.

“Hey,” I said back, a sudden shyness coming over me.

“You were so sexy tonight. My heart was beating like the clappers.”

My face flushed. “You were good, too. It was kinda hot.”

“Yeah?” he grinned. “I can give you a repeat performance, if you like.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You got another shirt to tear up? ‘Cause that was the sexiest part.”

He chuckled softly. “It’s always the shirt-ripping, isn’t it?”

_It was everything._

“I like you,” I blurted, then winced at how blunt the words sounded.

_Gee, Josie. Romantic setting like this and you just spill it out like that?_

Bobby’s eyes widened and he rolled onto his side, propped up by his elbow.

“Say that again?”

I let out a soft giggle. “I _said_ , I _like_ you.”

“Like, you _like_ me, like me?” he grinned.

I rolled my eyes and shifted my body closer so that my lips were next to his ear.

“I _like_ you, like you.”

I tried to press my lips to his cheek, but he shifted so that I caught his mouth instead and he drew me into a soft, sweet kiss.

“Say it one more time,” he whispered.

I pushed him onto his back and leaned over him, propping myself up with my forearms placed on either side of his head.

“I.” I kissed his cheek.

“Like.” The tip of his nose.

“You.” I hovered over him, watching as his eyes closed and his lips parted in anticipation before I finally lowered my mouth to his.

His arms came around me as his lips moved over mine, and as he tugged me closer I moved my leg over so I was straddling him. His hands teased their way up my sides as I leaned into the kiss, deepening it and sliding my tongue over his as he let out a happy sigh.

His hands came up to cup my face and he pulled me back so he could catch his breath. He smiled up at me as his thumbs traced the soft skin of my cheeks.

“How long?” he asked.

“How long what?”

“How long have you been holding out on me?”

I laughed before kissing him again, then snuggled into him, laying my head on his chest as his arms circled me and his fingers tangled themselves in my hair.

“Not long,” I said quietly. “I only realized it today, but I think the feelings have been there for a while. I just didn’t recognize them.”

His arms tightened around me as we lay there, and I could feel the quickening of his heartbeat as he held me against him. I smiled as I thought back to the challenge, and the absolute lust I had seen in his eyes as he looked at me. I felt a rush of heat burning through me, kindling a flame of desire in the pit of my stomach. I pressed a kiss to his chest and then lifted my head to look at the man before me.

“Do _you_ want a repeat performance?” I asked, biting my lip.

Bobby’s Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed hard, his eyelashes trembling as he met my gaze.

“Um, I—uh…”

I sat up straight and grinned down at him as he struggled to form an answer.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” I laughed softly, and he quickly nodded, his eyes wide.

I moved backwards, pressing my knees onto the floor on either side of him as Bobby propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes sparkling under the fairy lights. I lowered my head to flick my tongue teasingly over the skin of his stomach, feeling his muscles twitch slightly under my touch as I dragged my tongue up his chest.

I scooted forward slightly and lowered myself down, grinding up against his already rock-hard cock as my arms snaked around him and I raked my fingernails up and down his back. His breathing became heavy and his head lolled back as I brought my lips to his neck, nipping gently and then dragging my tongue over the delicate skin. Bobby groaned as I worked my way up to his ear and pulled the lobe between my teeth, nibbling lightly, smiling at the way he reacted to my touch as my tongue explored the sensitive skin behind his ear.

His arms trembled and shook, and as they gave out on him we both collapsed in a heap. Bobby’s moan vibrated through his chest, I burst into a fit of giggles as I lay on top of him.

“Well that was fast,” I grinned as I slid onto the floor next to him, leaving my leg slung over his.

“So funny,” He rolled his eyes, but his voice was strained and he shook his head for emphasis. “But these trousers are tight, and I’m so hard it hurts.”

I laughed, and he let out a low grunt.

“Shut up,” he whined, his chest rising and falling as he panted for air.

“Y’know, those are easy problems to solve,” I said in a suddenly low voice as I reached for the button on his trousers.

He grabbed my wrist before I could snap it open. “Hold up.”

I raised my eyebrows but said nothing, leaning over him to press soft kisses from his abdomen up his chest.

His eyes went dark and he gulped. “Um, are you sure? Aren’t we moving a little fast?”

I continued kissing my way upwards, tracing along his collarbone.

“At the moment, we’re not moving at all,” I whispered huskily.

His fingers wove their way through my hair and he groaned as my lips reached his throat.

“What if we get interrupted?” he asked, his voice just above a whisper.

“We won’t. I put a sign up.”

“A sign?”

I chuckled, smiling against his skin as I left kisses along his jawline. Finally my face hovered just above his, and I saw the wild look in his eyes.

“I got one of the challenge chalkboards,” I grinned, “and wrote ‘do not disturb’ on it.”

His eyes widened. “Good thinking,” he breathed, his fingers sliding tentatively up my thigh.

I smirked. “I also got condoms.”

His eyes widened even further as he let out a small squeak. “What about—”

I took hold of his chin, stared deep into his eyes, and said firmly, “Just shut up and fucking kiss me, already.”

He needed no further invitation, lifting his head up to crush his mouth against mine. There was no more hesitation in his movements, just a release of all his pent-up desire as he kissed me desperately. His hands roamed my body and pulled me closer towards him as his tongue slid between my lips, deepening the kiss. It was messy and muddled and absolutely amazing. The air around us was warm and heavy, the fairy lights twinkling and sparkling softly overhead.

In one swift and unexpected movement, he flipped us over, and I threaded my fingers through his dreads as his body pressed against mine. He sucked in his breath as his crotch pressed against me, and he pulled away suddenly.

He panted heavily as he raised himself up on his hands and knees above me.

He gasped for breath. “We need to slow down.”

“Noo,” I whined. “Why?”

He chuckled as he leaned over and pressed his lips against mine. I tried to deepen the kiss, but he pulled away, leaving me whimpering.

“Because I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” he grinned, “and I want it to last.”

“Well then,” I rolled onto my stomach and looked back at him over my shoulder, a little smile playing at the corners of my lips. “Why don’t you _slowly_ take my dress off?”

He stared at me with wide eyes for a moment.

“Fuck,” he muttered, then reached for the laces on the back of the dress, fumbling as he untied and pulled them apart. His hands spread across my naked skin almost hesitantly, then more boldly as I shivered at his touch.

He massaged my back and shoulders gently before leaning down and pressing feather light kisses down my spine. My body relaxed into his warm caress, and I let out a soft moan of pleasure as his fingers trailed along my sides under the fabric of the dress. I slipped my arms out of the straps and lay back down, resting my head on my crossed arms.

Bobby’s hands continued working their way down, bunching the fabric of the dress around my hips as he paused there.

“Are you ticklish?” he asked as his fingers pressed into the skin just above my hips.

“Why, you got a fetish?”

“No! Just wondering is all.”

I grinned into my arms. “I might have a few sensitive spots,” I said. “If you're lucky you might find them…”

Instead of responding he rolled his hands upwards along my skin, and I sighed happily under his touch. He took his time, kneading out the knots in my muscles as I relaxed and closed my eyes. Soon his hands trailed up my sides, and I smiled as his fingers tentatively brushed against the sides of my breasts. I shifted slightly, allowing him to cup the sides of them as he let out a deep breath.

“Can I?” His voice was breathless and a little awed.

I raised myself up on my elbows and he shifted to let me roll back over, baring my naked breasts to him. His eyes immediately lowered, drinking in the sight.

I grasped his wrists and moved his arms so that his hands covered my breasts, and his eyes widened.

“You sure this isn’t your first time?” I smirked, my voice low and almost sore as his touch sent shivers down my spine.

He pulled a face, then stuck his tongue out at me. “Just you wait,” he warned.

“Oh, I am,” I raised an eyebrow, “ _waiting_.”

His eyes gleamed in response as he lowered his mouth to my breasts. He blew softly against them, making my skin prickle in anticipation, before finally flicking his tongue out.

My back arched as he teased me, licking around my hardened nipple as he worked the other breast in his hand, squeezing the soft flesh and brushing his thumb over my skin. I threaded my fingers through his hair and tugged him towards the other breast, and he switched positions, licking and sucking the nipple into his mouth as I moaned softly. He alternated between each breast until I was squirming beneath him, begging for more, unable to stop little moans from escaping my lips.

I pulled his head back and he grinned up at me before sliding upwards and kissing me firmly on the mouth. He slid his tongue over my bottom lip, then tugged it gently between his teeth. As his lips moved against mine his hands travelled back towards my hips, sliding under the folds of the dress and then coming to a stop just above the curve of my backside.

“More?” He asked quietly.

“Please,” I moaned, arching into his touch.

He sat up and moved back so he could slide the dress the rest of the way down my legs, his eyes filled with lust as they raked over my body. Giving me a mischievous look, he picked up one of my feet and brought it to his lips, trailing kisses along the arch.

“I knew all that talk wasn’t for nothing,” I laughed, playfully trying to kick my foot away. “Get away from them.”

“I’m not touching _them_ , though, am I?” he smirked back.

He hooked my foot over his shoulder as he began kissing up my leg, making his way along the inner thigh, every kiss bringing him closer to the place where I was desperate to feel his touch.

“Bobby, please,” I whimpered as his breath ghosted against my skin, just above my wet heat.

At that he gave in, kissing me through the soaked, lacy fabric as my hips jerked upwards, silently begging for more.

His fingers hooked into the waistband and I lifted my hips, allowing him to slide the underwear off me and fling it away over his shoulder before lowering his head back between my thighs.

“You’re so wet,” he murmured, his voice dripping with desire and something I couldn’t quite identify but that made my stomach flutter with butterflies.

He flattened his tongue and licked upwards along my slit with slow strokes, taking his time as he delved between my wet folds. Impatiently, I rocked my hips, grinding against his mouth and wordlessly begging him to move upwards.

He finally did, circling my clit with gentle strokes as I dug my fingers into the blanket beneath me, clenching it in my fists as tension coiled within me. When his tongue finally flicked across my clit I cried out, my body shuddering beneath him. I gasped as he drew it into his mouth, sucking it between his lips.

“Bobby,” I whispered, desperation seeping into my voice as my hands found his dreads and pushed him even closer into my heat.

He slid his tongue over my clit, alternating his strokes as I panted, throwing my head back against the cushions. I dug my fingers into his scalp as I held him against me, desperate to find relief.

Sensing I was close, Bobby pulled away, and I whimpered at the loss of his touch. He glided over my body and kissed me, and I tasted myself on his lips as I kissed him back hungrily. He reached down and pressed his fingers where his mouth had been moments before, making my body arch upwards with a moan. He slid one finger, then two, inside of me and my hips jerked, pushing him deeper inside as my walls clenched around him. He slowly pumped in and out of me as his thumb circled my clit, and within moments I was back on the edge.

He pressed soft kisses against my neck as he sped up the pace of his thrusts and curled his fingers within me. I gasped, my body shuddering around him as I came, moaning as he continued pumping slowly, working me through my orgasm until I collapsed beneath him, panting. He trailed kisses along my jawline before finally pressing his mouth to mine, and I clung to him as we kissed.

“Your turn,” I said, pushing him away. I sat up and looked around for my dress, finding it laying in a heap near the fort’s entrance. I crawled towards it and rifled through the layers of fabric until I came up with one of the condoms I had snuck into it earlier.

I returned to his side with a satisfied grin, holding up the packet for him to see.

“Are you sure?” he asked. “We don’t have to—”

“Bobby, you were about to explode earlier.”

“If you’re not ready, it’s okay—”

“Bobby,” I said firmly, holding his face between my hands and looking him in the eye. “I want this. I want _you_.”

“Really?”

The way he looked at me made my heart freeze for a moment and then beat again, faster than ever before.

Trying not to think about it, I pressed my lips against his in a suddenly soft, gentle kiss, needing a moment to recompose myself. “Do I need to be any more obvious? Take your fucking pants off.”

He quickly moved to comply, flicking open the button and hooking his thumbs into the waistband. He pushed his trousers and briefs down together, freeing his cock from its tight confines.

I eyed him hungrily as I ripped open the foil packet. I reached out and took him in my hand, stroking him slowly as he sucked his breath in, then rolled the condom onto him. I kissed him again, then laid down among the cushions and pulled him on top of me.

He settled in between my thighs and leaned down to press kisses along my neck, down my throat, and along my collarbone, before he finally lined himself up against my entrance and slowly rolled his hips, his eyes burning into mine.

I gasped as he entered me, digging my nails into his back, and he dropped his head on my shoulder, moaning against my skin, mumbling something I couldn’t make out. He filled me so perfectly, so completely, as if his body was made for mine. He paused, giving me time to adjust to his size before pulling almost all the way out and gently pushing back inwards. His movements were slow at first as he moved, settling into a steady rhythm and gradually building the pace.

My legs wrapped tightly around him as I clung to him desperately, pleasure building up within me as his hips rocked against mine. Every thrust, every little noise he made sent me further and further into a state of bliss until I came undone, waves of pleasure rippling through my body as I quivered beneath him. My walls clenched around his throbbing cock and with a curse he followed, pumping into me as he rode out his high until he collapsed against me.

Tugging gently on his dreads, I brought his face towards mine and kissed him tenderly, letting emotions pour out of me with the kiss. Bobby hummed against my lips, before moving to bury his face in the crook of my neck, pressing soft kisses across the curve of my shoulder.

He rolled onto his back, still panting to catch his breath, and I curled up against him, wrapping my arm around his waist.

“Sorry to keep you waiting so long,” I said quietly as I watched the rise and fall of his chest.

He turned onto his side to look at me, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear so he could see my face.

“You’re worth waiting for.”

I smiled. “Well, I won’t keep you waiting as long next time.”

He raised his eyebrows as his face split into a satisfied grin. “Next time? When’s that gonna be?”

I smirked as I reached down and cupped his balls. “Whenever you’re ready.”

*********

I awoke with a start.

_What was that?_

I was curled up against Bobby’s body, my head in the crook of his shoulder and my leg thrown over his as he starfished. Fairy lights still twinkled above our heads, casting a warm glow within the fort.

_DING!_

Bobby shifted beneath me, his hand coming up to rub his face as he opened his eyes.

“Was that a text?”

“Sounded like it,” I replied sleepily, pressing my body into his side for his warmth.

He held me close, gently stroking the exposed skin of my back.

“We should probably take a look.”

“Mm.”

He sat up, pulling me up with him as I made a noise of complaint.

“Do you know where the phones went?”

I rubbed my eyes and blinked a couple times, then sat up on my own and looked around for my phone as Bobby began sliding his hand between couch cushions to look for his own.

I found mine under a cushion and pressed the home button. The screen lit up, a notification alert centred across it.

‘Josie, a new Islander is waiting to go on a date with you. Please be ready to leave the villa in one hour.’

I frowned.

_A new islander? Now? When we’re this close to the end and everyone is happily coupled up?_

“I have a date,” I said.

I looked up at Bobby, the glow of his phone screen reflecting on his face. His brows were furrowed and he was chewing his bottom lip.

“So do I,” he replied. “That’s not the nicest thing to wake up to.”

“I don’t want to go on a date with someone new.”

He looked up at me and grinned. “Good. I don’t want you to, either.”

“Can we decline and have a lie-in instead?”

“I wish. But I don’t think it works that way.”

We both put our clothes back on in case anyone else was up and about, then crawled out of the fort and went upstairs to start getting ready.

As we approached the bathroom, he slid his arm around my waist, pulling me towards him.

“Do you wanna, um, shower together? Save some time.”

I raised my eyebrows as I smirked up at him. “Won’t that just take longer?”

His eyes widened. “I don’t mean sex! I mean, that would be nice, but I just meant—”

“Sharing a hot, steamy shower and getting our hands all over each other?” I smiled innocently.

“Um, yeah, kinda, if that’s—”

I lifted myself onto my tiptoes and silenced him with a kiss.

“I’m keen if you are.”

I winked at him as I walked past him and into the dressing room to retrieve my toiletries. When I returned to the bathroom, Bobby was already in the shower, so I quickly shed my dress and joined him.

“Is the temperature okay?” he asked as I stepped under the stream.

“Yeah, it’s good,” I replied. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his head down towards me, drawing him into a long kiss as we stood under the warm water. I felt his dick press up against my thigh and smiled against his mouth as I lowered my hand to stroke him.

He pulled away with a moan. “I thought we weren’t gonna do this.”

“Fine, I’ll behave,” I laughed as I released him.

“I’ll make it up to you later,” he winked.

“Looking forward to it,” I smirked, biting my lip as he groaned.

I laughed and picked up my shampoo bottle, flipping open the cap, only for Bobby to take it out of my hands. He squeezed the product into his palm and set the bottle down.

“Turn around.”

I did, and he began spreading the shampoo through the roots of my hair, his fingers gently massaging my scalp. I let out a sigh of pleasure as he worked the product through my hair, placing a hand on the shower wall to support myself as my knees weakened. When he finished I wordlessly rinsed the suds and squeezed out the excess water, then applied conditioner to the ends, smiling at him as he watched, his eyes wandering over my naked body almost shyly.

I poured body wash onto a loofah and began brushing it over his chest, working it into a lather. He ran his hands down my sides and let them settle on my hips, pulling me closer towards him so he could press a kiss to my lips.

He sighed happily as I worked the soap down his arms.

“Josie…”

“Yeah?”

“Do you ever wonder what would have happened if we’d stayed coupled up? At the beginning?”

I paused in my movements, watching as the soap suds trailed down his body. “You mean if I’d given you more of a chance instead of chasing almost every other guy in here?”

“Yeah.”

“Not really.” I reached around him so I could wash his back, as his arms wound around me.

“Oh.”

“Do you?”

“Sometimes.”

“And what do you think would have happened?” I asked, pulling back so I could look at him.

“I dunno,” he shrugged. “I guess… maybe Rocco wouldn’t have picked you. And then maybe you wouldn’t have kissed Gary, and none of the stuff with Lottie would have happened. And maybe you wouldn’t have coupled up with Henrik.”

“What about Lucas?”

He took the loofah from my hands and rinsed it under the showerhead, then added more soap and began running it along my arms, a look of concentration on his face.

“Yeah, that’s what I don’t know about,” he finally said. “Would you have been happy with me? Would you still have given him a chance?”

“Would he even have been dumped?” I shrugged. “Hope voted for him because of me.”

“Crazy to think how different things could have been.”

I turned around and pressed my back against his chest as he gently brushed the loofah along my breasts and stomach, his other hand coming up to caress my skin.

“Maybe it had to happen that way,” I said, leaning my head against his shoulder. “Maybe it just wasn’t the right time for us yet. Maybe all that stuff that happened is what we needed for our relationship to get to where it is now, for me to see what’s been in front of me all this time.”

“Maybe.” He kissed my cheek, and I turned around, my arms snaking around his neck as I pressed myself up against him and lifting my mouth to his. The kiss was sweet, slow, yet full of wanting.

We separated reluctantly, realizing that we had to hurry up and finish so we could get ready for our dates. We rinsed off and stepped out of the shower, wrapping towels around ourselves. Bobby headed downstairs to find something to wear, while I moved to the dressing room to do my hair and makeup. Soon Bobby came back, dressed in white shorts and a light blue polo shirt.

“Can I pick your outfit?” he asked.

“Okay,” I smiled, knowing he would probably choose my least revealing dress.

Sure enough, he did, pulling out a light pink dress with a high-neck halter neckline. I shooed him out of the room so I could put it on, then with a last look in the mirror I followed him downstairs.

He was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairway, and turned at the sound of my footsteps. He grinned, looking me over.

“Damn. I wish I was the one going on a date with you.”

“Me too,” I smiled, taking his hand as I descended the last few steps.

He leaned down to kiss me but I turned my head, offering my cheek instead.

“Don’t ruin my lipstick.”

“But I want to,” he grinned. “I want whoever you’re on a date with to know you were kissing someone else before going to see him.”

I laughed as he opened the door, and we walked out into the early morning sunlight. Two Jeeps sat on the drive waiting for us, and he led me to the first one, opening the door and helping me in. He closed the door behind me and I blew him a kiss as the vehicle began to move.

I was driven to a park and led along garden paths to an open, grassy area where a table had been set up. A tall man with dark hair and muscular shoulders sat with his back to me.

As I walked towards the table, he sensed my approach and stood, running his fingers through his hair as he turned around.

I immediately stopped, frozen in place as my jaw dropped and my stomach tightened into a thousand knots.

“Hello, Josie,” he smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh... 👀
> 
> Kudos/comments are always appreciated! I love to hear from you! 💕


	34. Snog, Marry, and a Big Ol' Pie

“Hello, Josie.”

Lucas. By some evil twist of fate, my date was with Lucas.

_You’ve got to be kidding me._

He looked just as good as ever, standing in front of me in a partially-buttoned white shirt and neat grey shorts, that same intense gaze and incessant smirk causing heat to wash over me and butterflies to flit around in my stomach.

“…Lucas?! Wha—what are you doing here?”

It all felt surreal as I stepped towards him in a daze, somehow finding myself wrapped in a hug, his familiar patchouli scent washing over me.

He kissed my cheek as we separated, and as he looked down at me there was a glint in his eyes as the corners of his lips turned up.

“I’m Lucas Koh, I’m here to rescue you.”

I looked back at him in confusion.

“Huh?”

He laughed and placed a hand on the small of my back as he led me towards the table. Laid out on the table were an assortment croissants, fruit, and breakfast sausages, along with a pitcher of mimosa.

“Sorry, Star Wars quote. Get it? Luke Skywalker…?”

He pulled out a chair for me and smoothly pushed it forward as I took a seat.

“I get the quote, but what are you rescuing me from?”

“From ending your Love Island experience in a friendship couple. After the journey you’ve had in here, you deserve better than that.”

_Oh, crap… he doesn’t know. What happened yesterday probably won’t air until tonight._

“Lucas, I—”

“I know, I know,” he waved his hand dismissively as he reached for the mimosa and began to pour it into champagne flutes. “We hardly know each other, so it’s something we have to explore, but you can’t deny we had a strong connection the first time around.”

It felt like so long ago, but there was no denying that there had definitely been something in between us, and my heart leapt at the thought of that spark rekindling.

_Shit, Josie, what are you thinking?_

“I just want you to know,” he continued as he set down the pitcher and handed me my glass, his gaze burning into mine, “that I still feel the same as I did when I left. I’ve been watching and I feel like I’ve been getting to know you more and more, but I understand that it might take more time for you.”

I accepted the glass and smiled shyly at him as I clinked it against his own, then took a sip. I set it down and rotated the stem between my fingers as I tried to figure out what to say. There was no denying my attraction for him, the same feelings I’d previously had coming bubbling up again. But the situation was different this time. It wasn’t the first week, and I wasn’t in an unhappy couple.

“Look, Lucas, I appreciate all this, but—”

He reached across the table and placed his hand on mine, causing a spark of electricity to jolt through me. My breath hitched as I looked down at his tanned hand covering my own.

“—the thing is,” I continued, “you need to know that Bobby and I…”

“I know, you’re really close and you’d feel bad letting him down at this stage. There’s only a week left.”

I pulled my hand away and lifted my eyes to his, clenching my jaw in resolution. “Bobby and I aren’t just a friendship couple.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Well, yeah, we all know he likes you, but—”

“I like him, too,” I interrupted. “I just told him yesterday.”

He winced, then stiffened, pulling his hand back from where he had left it lying on the table.

“I see,” he frowned. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.”

“I’m sorry, Lucas. This is all just really bad timing.”

“Yeah,” he snorted. “Seems like I’m cursed with bad timing.”

“We can be friends, though, right?” I asked hopefully.

“Of course,” he smiled, but it failed to reach his eyes.

I hated how much it hurt to hurt him, knowing that he had come back expecting to be welcomed with open arms, and as we continued to chat I couldn’t deny that there was still something that drew me to him. After he had left and I had moved on with Henrik I had written off my feelings for him as just an infatuation, but now that he was back in front of me and the butterflies were back in full force, I knew that it must have been more.

We filled the rest of our time keeping the conversation friendly and surface-level as he told me stories about what he had been up to on the outside.

“I guess we should head back,” he said as the date drew to a close.

“You must be looking forward to seeing everyone again.”

“Yeah, I am. It’s gonna be weird being back in there, especially with some new faces, different couples, all that.”

“Are you excited to see Henrik?”

He frowned as he rose from his seat. “I’ll admit, I wasn’t very happy with him when he swooped in on you so soon after I left.”

“That wasn’t entirely his fault. I’m the one that picked him.”

“Yeah, but it still hurt. And then watching him pick Blake…” his jaw clenched and his eyes darkened momentarily. “I wanted to punch him, knowing that you had stayed loyal to him. He had everything, and just threw it away.”

“It’s all behind us, now.”

“Still, it wasn’t nice to watch.” His eyes fell on me and his features brightened as he smiled. “You’re right, though. It’s in the past.”

He kissed me softly on the cheek, then placed his hand on the small of my back as he led me toward the Jeep.

We spent the drive back to the villa in silence as I contemplated what awaited us. And what I would say to Bobby. Last night and this morning I had been so confident in my feelings for him, and suddenly I was a confused mess. I couldn’t bear the thought of hurting him, but how could I deny the chemistry that I had with Lucas? Wasn’t it at least worth exploring?

All too soon, we were back at the villa, and I took a deep breath before stepping out of the vehicle.

Lucas followed me as we entered the building and headed through towards the lawn where the others were gathered.

“Look who I found!” I put on a smile as we approached, and heads turned towards us, looking between me and Lucas in shock.

“Buddy!” Henrik shot up from the beanbag where he had been sitting and ran toward us.

Lucas stiffened, but allowed Henrik’s hug, then hesitantly raised his arms and returned it.

“It’s so great to see you, mate!” Henrik grinned as he pulled away. “I’m so hyped that we get to be together again.”

Lucas cleared his throat and gave him a half-smile. “Um, yeah. Look, can we talk privately later?”

Henrik’s face fell, and as he gave me a questioning glance his eyes widened in realization. I smiled encouragingly at him, and he nodded.

“Yeah, sure. That’s a good idea.”

The others crowded around Lucas for hugs and introductions and I stepped back, looking around for Bobby, but he wasn’t there.

Priya gave Lucas a hug, then saw me on the edge of the crowd and sidled up to me.

“So, Lucas, huh?” she smirked, nudging her elbow into my side. “Who would have expected this?”

I sighed, then took her hand and pulled her towards the daybeds. I dropped face-first onto one of the beds and let out a cry of frustration.

“Why, Priya?” I sat up and leaned into her as she put her arm around me. “Why did he have to come back, and why did it have to happen now?”

“Isn’t this a good thing? Now you’ve got options!”

“I don’t want options! I want…”

I no longer knew exactly what I wanted.

“Oh my god!” she exclaimed. “Did something happen between you and Bobby last night?”

I groaned, closing my eyes, and she squealed.

“I knew it! You slept with him, didn’t you!”

My silence was the only affirmation she needed, and she burst into another fit of squeals.

“Was he good?”

“Quiet, Pri,” I said, looking over my shoulder at the others to ensure they didn’t hear. “I slept with him, and now Lucas is back and I’m all confused. The feelings are still there.”

“Oh, honey,” she responded, pulling me into a sympathetic hug. “What are you gonna do?”

I sighed as she pulled away, rubbing my fingers in circles around my temples. “I don’t know… it’s not fair to Bobby if I give Lucas a chance, but how can I deny Lucas that chance when we both know there’s a connection? What if I’m missing out on a better connection with Lucas? How do I even decide between the two of them, when the last recoupling could happen any day?”

She nodded thoughtfully. “Well… I know one thing you could do.”

“What’s that?”

“Even the playing field,” she smirked. “See which one is better in bed.”

I smacked her arm and shook my head, but wasn’t able to stop the smile from spreading onto my face. I looked over at where Lucas was standing, his white shirt only buttoned up halfway and doing very little to conceal his impeccable body.

“Tempting,” I smirked. “But no, I couldn’t do that to Bobby.”

“Speaking of Bobby,” Priya nodded her head towards the villa. “Here he comes now.”

My heartbeat quickened as I turned to look. My head had been so filled with thoughts of Lucas that I had barely had time to consider that he had been on a date with another girl. Not that I thought I had anything to worry about, but a twinge of jealousy came over me all the same.

He walked in with a redheaded girl hanging off his arm.

“Is that…”

“Hannah?”

I breathed out a sigh of relief. Bobby hadn’t shown any interest in Hannah during the first few days in the villa, choosing to couple up with Marisol instead after I had asked him not to pick me. I didn’t think she was a threat, but why had she picked him for her date? Did she think she could turn his head, or was it just because, like Lucas, she thought we were a friendship couple and thought he was her best option to couple up with?

I saw Bobby glancing around the group of islanders, his eyebrows raising when his eyes settled on Lucas. He put on an unaffected smile and gave Lucas a hug, his eyes searching over Lucas’s shoulder and lighting up when they found me.

I smiled and waved at him as Priya and I got up from the bed and headed over.

“Oh, hi, Josie, Priya,” Hannah smiled as she saw us coming over.

I gave her the once-over as we approached. She looked different somehow, more confident in her bearing. The spotlight outside the villa must have been good for her. I smiled back at her as I reached out for a hug.

“It’s good to have you back,” I said.

“Thank you! It’s so nice to get a second chance!” She pulled back and gave me a conspiratorial smile. “Sorry for taking your man out on a date – he told me everything! How sweet that you could get together after all this time!”

_Everything?_

“Thanks,” I smiled again as she turned her attention to Priya.

My eyes drifted over to where Bobby was standing, finding his gaze on me. Butterflies fluttered throughout my stomach at his glance, and I gave him a reassuring smile as I made my way over to him.

“Why don’t we all go sit around the firepit and catch up?” Gary asked.

I groaned inwardly, wishing I could just pull Bobby aside for a private chat, but knowing it would be rude not to join everyone else. I gave Bobby a quick peck on the cheek and slipped my hand into his as we followed the others. He put his arm around me as we took our seats on the end of the bench, his hand resting casually on my hip.

“So, what have you guys been doing outside the villa?” Marisol asked.

“A bit of this and that,” Lucas responded. “Interviews, photoshoots, even some brand sponsorships.”

“It’s been exciting,” Hannah nodded. “I’ve even been approached by some publishing houses who want to see my work! I might get to achieve my dream of writing a novel!”

“Is there any hot gossip you can share?” Priya grinned as she leaned into Arjun’s chest.

Hannah giggled. “Well, you know, we’re not supposed to spill any tea about anything we’ve seen. But there have certainly been some great moments.”

“Like what?”

“Well, let’s see… Casa Amor was heartbreaking to watch, seeing each side of things and knowing who was staying loyal and who wasn’t…”

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest.

_Do we really need to go over this again?_

“And everyone was dying watching Bobby pretending to be on a cooking show when he and Josie were making dinner for everyone.”

Bobby straightened at that, a wide grin spreading across his face.

“Maybe I’ll get my own show out of it!”

“Why didn’t we hear about this?” Arjun asked, looking at us. “I wish I could have seen that.”

I stuck out my tongue at him and he laughed. “You’ll just have to watch it when you get out.”

“So, who are you each interested in, now that you’re back in the villa?” Lottie asked, twirling her hair between her fingers. “Apart from the obvious, since you took Bobby and Josie on dates.”

Lucas frowned, and opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by Hannah.

“Well that would just be a spoiler, now, wouldn’t it?” she smirked. “I’ve got my eye on a few people…”

“Yeah, same,” Lucas added, though his eyes looked sad as they flickered over to me. “We’ll just see what happens.”

“Interesting,” Lottie said, pressing her lips together as she looked around at all the existing couples seated around the bench. “Very interesting.”

A few others asked questions, which Hannah happily responded to, while Lucas seemed somewhat less enthusiastic. I leaned over to Bobby to whisper in his ear.

“Can we ditch this lot and go for a private chat? I figure we should talk about our dates.”

He frowned, and I caught the briefest of glances over at Lucas before he nodded.

“Yeah, if you think there’s something we need to talk about.”

My heart squeezed in my chest at his words. I hated the way I was feeling right now, hated that I was in this position.

“C’mon,” I whispered, hoping to sneak away from the group unnoticed.

_DING!_

“I got a text!”

_Ugh, now what?_

“’Islanders, it’s time to put your cards on the table and put your feelings out there in today’s challenge, ‘Snog, Marry, Pie.’ #puckerup #dontholdback’”

_For fuck’s sakes. Today of all days they spring this one on us?_

Chelsea squealed. “Ooh, who’s gonna marry me?” She turned to Gary. “Are you gonna marry me, babe?”

“I dunno, Chichi,” he grinned as he pulled her onto his lap. “I just might snog ya.”

She giggled as she threw her arms around his neck and pecked his cheek.

“C’mon, Josie,” Priya called to me as she got up. “Let’s go get ready for some snogging!”

I turned to Bobby with a questioning look, and he just smiled.

“Go on, lass, we’ll have our chat later.”

“Okay, see you in a bit.”

I followed Priya upstairs, where others were already taking turns around the bathroom sinks brushing their teeth. She pulled me through the dressing room and onto the roof terrace, then closed the door behind us.

“So? What are you going to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Who are you going to snog! Bobby or Lucas?”

“I… I don’t know,” I admitted. I covered my face with my hands as I dropped onto one of the benches. “I know I should kiss Bobby, but… it’s a challenge. Not that it’s a free pass to kiss whoever I want—”

“It kind of is, actually.”

“You know what I mean, Pri. If I want to kiss Lucas, this might be my only chance, but to do it without having a proper chat with Bobby first?”

“Well, what if he kisses you when it’s his turn?”

I sighed. “I’m not sure he will. I told him about Bobby, so he might be reluctant to make a move.”

“Then you have to do it. You have to kiss him, see if that clarifies things.”

“Or confuses things.”

I let out a heavy sigh as we got up to go finish getting ready.

_I really don’t know about this._

By the time we made it back to the lawn, the boys were lined up along the pool, along with Marisol, who was joining them since Elisa had been on their team during the previous evening’s challenge. The rest of the girls stood near a table that contained a row of cream pies waiting to be thrown in people’s faces.

“It’s girls first,” Lottie said as we joined the group. “This is gonna be savage. I can’t wait to pie Gary.”

Shannon went first, wrapping her arms around Rahim’s neck and pulling his head down towards her to draw him into a long, passionate kiss.

“That’s for being my boyfriend. And I’m going to ask Bobby to marry me,” she walked over to where Bobby stood and went down on one knee in front of him, sliding a ring onto his finger, “because he’s a good friend and that sex dream was hot.”

Bobby quickly pulled back his hand. “Hey! I thought you made that up for the mission!”

She threw him a wink over her shoulder as she walked to the table and picked up a pie.

“And finally, I’m going to pie…” she walked over to Arjun and shoved the pie in his face, “you, because you keep talking about your dogs when you know I don’t like them!”

Elisa was next and snogged Marisol, proposed to Lucas, and pied Bobby. Then Hannah went, kissing Lucas on the cheek, proposing to Rahim, and pieing Gary.

“That’s for sending me home!” she laughed as he wiped the cream from his face.

On Chelsea’s turn she went straight up to Gary.

“Pucker up, big boy!” she grinned, then cupped his face between her hands as she lifted herself up onto her toes to kiss him.

She tapped her finger on her lips as she looked over the row of boys, then walked over to Bobby.

“Bobby, will you marry me?” she asked, lowering herself to one knee. “Because you’re the funnest!”

“Aw, sure thing, Chels Bels,” Bobby grinned.

“Hey!” Gary shook his finger at Bobby as Chelsea giggled, “don’t steal my nicknames for my girl!”

“Aw, c’mon, Gaz, you’ve got like, twenty nicknames for her.”

“And they’re all reserved for my use only!”

“Oh, shush, Garebear!” she laughed, playfully shoving him as she walked by on her way to the pies. She picked up a pie and turned around with a big grin on her face. “I’m gonna pie… Henrik! Just because I think you deserve it, babe!”

Henrik grinned and leaned down for her to wipe the pie all over his face. “Yum!”

Lottie went next, kissing Henrik and asking Bobby to marry her.

“Geez, B, you’re in high demand,” I laughed. “How can I compete?”

“Oh, there’s no competition, babe,” he winked.

I smiled back, but as I watched Lottie pieing Gary, I realized it was my turn next. My stomach tightened into a knot as I looked from Bobby over to Lucas.

"Just go for it," Priya whispered, sensing my thoughts. "Remember your advice to me in Casa Amor? You never know until you give someone a chance."

"This is different!" I whispered back, louder than intended.

"Not that different!"

I looked over at Bobby, who was looking over at Lucas with a slight frown.

_Fuck. I can’t do it to him._

My legs felt wooden as I walked over to the lineup of boys, nerves settling in the pit of my stomach. I made eye contact with each boy I passed, pretending to consider who I was going to choose. Acting normal as I walked down the line, passing Lucas, towards Bobby…

My feet stopped, almost of their own accord.

_Don’t do it, Josie, don’t—_

I turned, and Lucas looked at me in surprise as my gaze returned to him.

_Fuck it. I need to know._

I took a step back towards him and lifted my hand around the back of his neck, drawing him towards me as I lifted my lips to his. If I was looking to see if the spark was still there between us, I had my answer – it absolutely was. He kissed me back eagerly, and I could have so easily melted into his arms and given him a proper snog, but I forced myself to break it off quickly, pushing him away before it went too far.

I gave my head a shake as I walked towards the table to pick up the ring.

_Get it together._

I took a deep breath as I walked back down the line, this time keeping my eyes down as I passed each of the boys. I stopped in front of Bobby and lifted my eyes.

It broke my heart to see the pained expression in his eyes before he looked away, gazing at a point over my shoulder. As I lowered myself to one knee I reached for his hand, half expecting him to pull it away. He didn’t, but the way he left it limp in my grip was almost worse.

“Bobby…” My voice cracked, and I stopped to clear my throat before sliding the ring onto his finger. It stopped halfway, too small to pass over his middle knuckle. “I choose to marry you because you’re by far the best man in this villa. I don’t deserve you, and—and I hope you know that I don’t take you for granted.”

_Even though I act like it. Fuck, what was I thinking?_

I rose unsteadily to my feet, leaning close to him so I wouldn’t be heard by the others. “I’m sorry.”

He didn’t meet my eyes, looking straight ahead as he clenched his jaw tightly. I quickly shuffled away, blinking back the moisture welling up in the corners of my eyes as I tried to regain my composure. I reached the table and picked up a pie, quickly turning and planting it in Henrik’s face.

“We all know what that’s for,” I said sharply, then headed back to the girls.

As I passed Priya on her way towards the boys, I stopped her briefly and mumbled quietly.

“My head is fucked, Pri. Absolutely fucked.”

She gave me a sympathetic look before continuing onwards.

“I don’t wanna snog anyone else, so…” I heard her say as I kept walking, reaching the group of girls and taking my place beside Lottie.

I watched as she married Lucas – she said she would have picked Bobby but didn’t want to be wife #5 – and went back to the table to pick up the pie. She carried it over to Bobby and lifted it into his face, then rubbed it down his chest before pulling him into a hug – cream and all – and whispering something in his ear.

“What was that about?” I asked as she walked back over.

She made a zipping motion over her lips and shrugged. I raised an eyebrow, but didn’t push the matter.

All the girls had taken their turns, so it was time to switch places. As Bobby grabbed a towel to wipe the cream off his face, I walked over to him.

“Bobby—”

“Not now, please,” he said abruptly, turning away.

I stared at his back, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. I wasn’t sure what was worse, the fact that he was giving me the cold shoulder, or the fact that I knew I deserved every bit of it.

I took my place at the end of the lineup, only half paying attention as Rahim started things off for the boys.

_I screwed up. Why, why did I have to do something so stupid?_

Marisol took her turn next, and I barely even reacted when her pie connected with my face.

_What kind of an idiot tells someone she likes him, sleeps with him, and then turns around and kisses someone else right in front of him the very next day?_

Someone passed me a towel, and I quickly rubbed my face clean before the next boy’s turn. I looked up and my breath caught in my throat as I saw Lucas coming towards me, a confident smirk on his face and his dark eyes seductively boring into mine. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as he neared, and then he was in front of me.

Time seemed to slow almost to a stop as he cupped my face and lowered his head, capturing my mouth with his. My knees weakened as he gently tugged my lower lip between his teeth, my hands coming up to clutch his arms to support myself. He brushed his tongue across my lip and instinctively my lips parted, allowing him to slide his tongue over mine. The combination of patchouli cologne and minty toothpaste consumed me, overwhelming my senses as my fingernails dug into his biceps.

_Fuck, what am I doing?_

I pulled away sharply, but Lucas’ hands held my jaw firmly, maintaining his control as he kept me in place a moment longer before finally breaking off the kiss. He winked and licked his upper lip as he stepped away, my eyes following him as my skin burned from his touch.

_Stop it._

I forced myself to look away, my eyes landing upon Bobby. His eyes were a mix of anger and hurt as he stared back at me briefly before averting his gaze. I swallowed hard, ashamed and disgusted with myself for being the one to put that expression in his eyes.

“I’m gonna marry you because you’re fiery, and I kinda like it.”

I looked up to where Lucas was kneeling in front of Lottie, then watched as he pied Priya.

_What will Bobby do when it’s his turn?_

The sudden thought shook me as I realized I might have pushed him away enough for him not even want to kiss me.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

“Come at me with a ring, I fucking dare you.”

The sound of Lottie’s angry voice shook me out of my reverie and I looked up to see her standing with her arms crossed, staring daggers at Henrik. Hannah’s cheeks were flushed, and I realized he must have kissed her instead.

“What?” he spread his arms, pleading innocence. “It was just a welcome peck!”

Lottie rolled her eyes, shaking her head as he came towards her with a ring.

“I don’t want it, don’t even bother.”

“What’s the matter? I don’t get it.”

“If you can’t figure it out, then there’s no point explaining it, _mate_.”

“I didn’t think—”

“Exactly!”

I breathed out a sigh.

_At least I’m not the only one creating drama for myself._

Henrik came back with a pie and pushed it into Elisa’s face.

“Ugh! What was that for?”

He shrugged. “I dunno, had to pie someone, and the pie chose you.”

Arjun was next, snogging Priya and proposing to Shannon. When he picked up the pie he glanced in my direction, and I groaned as his cheeky smile spread across his face.

He marched over and stood in front of me as I shook my head, smiling in spite of myself.

“I’m going to pie Josie, because she’s a good sport and I know she can handle it.”

He unceremoniously dumped the pie in my face as I jumped back with a squeal.

“I’m gonna get you back someday,” I warned.

“Counting on it!” he winked, before walking away back to the group of boys.

Gary came walking towards us, winking at Chelsea as she squealed, bouncing on her toes.

He went up to Shannon and kissed her briefly on the cheek.

“I’m kissing you because I think you’re pretty cool, and I can’t wait to play poker with you someday.”

She laughed. “You know I’m gonna bleed you dry, right?”

“Oh, I think you’ll take it easy on me, you’re not totally heartless.”

“We’ll see about that.”

He picked up a ring from the table and grinned as he walked towards a beaming Chelsea and lowered himself to one knee.

“Chelsea Bells, you brighten up my day, and right now there’s nobody else I’d rather have a future with. Will you marry me?”

She squealed in response and threw her arms around him before he could place the ring on her finger. He stood up, lifting her with him and twirling her around. He set her down and she finally stopped waving her hand long enough for him to slide the ring on. He kissed her on the cheek, then ran over to the table to grab a pie.

“And I’m going to pie this person because I’m pretty sure she put a curse on me.”

He hurried over to Lottie and shoved the pie in her face before she had a chance to duck.

“What kind of curse?”

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Ooh, saucy!”

Finally it was Bobby’s turn, and I inhaled deeply as he walked past Lucas, giving him a look I couldn’t read. He walked towards us, his face unusually serious, and I held my breath as I watched, wondering what he would do.

It felt like an eternity watching him walk along the line, looking at each girl as he passed them, his eyes avoiding mine, until he stopped in front of me. His eyes flashed with emotion, the anger and hurt I had seen earlier still there along with something else, something like a steely resolve that matched his clenched jaw.

He reached out a hand and curled his fingers into the hair at the base of my scalp, then pulled me towards him. His other hand slid over my hip as his lips crushed mine – hard, harder than he ever had before, harder than I had ever expected from him. It was strong, firm, and heated, as if he were trying to prove something. My arms snaked around his neck, pulling him even closer as I pressed against him, deepening the kiss as his tongue brushed hungrily against mine. His fingers dug into my hip as he gripped me, holding me close as he tasted my mouth. His teeth scraped my lower lip and he bit down, eliciting a whimper from my throat.

It was rough and passionate, and I lost myself in the heady sensations of the kiss, leaning into him, giving myself up completely to his control.

When he finally broke the kiss we were both flushed and breathing heavily. I gripped his shoulders tightly as I steadied myself, staring up at him and wondering where that had come from.

The sound of cheering reached my ears and my gaze broke away as I remembered where we were and what we were doing. Bobby snapped out of it as well, removing his hands from my body as he stepped away and my arms fell to my sides.

Almost instinctively I glanced towards Lucas, seeing his eyebrows raised and his lips turned up into an amused smirk. I forced my eyes away, following Bobby’s figure as he got down on one knee in front of Lottie. An incessant buzz in my ears prevented me from hearing his words as I watched his lips move.

He stood and went back to the table for a pie, and he tilted it up into Priya’s face as she winced.

“You know what that’s for,” he said, wiping stray bits of cream off himself as he walked back to the boys.

_What **was** that for? _

The challenge finally over, the islanders dispersed, those of us who had been pied needing to clean ourselves off. I spend up my pace, catching up to Bobby and reaching out to grab his arm.

“Bobby? Can we—”

“I’d rather not.”

He jerked his arm out of my gasp and continued walking. I stopped, staring back at his retreating figure as someone else came up beside me.

“Well, that was enlightening,” Lucas’s silky-smooth voice sounded in my ear.

I turned to look up at him, expecting to see a smug expression on his face, but his gaze was soft and sympathetic, making my breath catch in my throat.

I shook my head, tears burning my eyes as I headed towards the Beach Hut. I needed to be alone. I needed to sort out my head, before it was too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Josie's back on her bullshit, folks! 😬
> 
> Kudos/comments are, as always, appreciated 💕


	35. TWO DAYS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to keep you waiting a little extra long for this one, especially after the _angst_ of the last one!

I emerged from the Beach Hut, my skin sticky and the remnants of whipped cream still in my hair from the challenge. My thoughts were still completely scrambled, but my alone time had been cut short because the producers needed to get the other islanders into the Beach Hut for their reactions to the challenge.

I entered the dressing room and found Hannah humming to herself as she hung dresses up in her cupboard. She saw me out of the corner of her eye and looked up, smiling when she saw me.

“Oh, hi Josie!”

“Hi,” I said back, wracking my brain for something to say as I opened my cupboard. “So, how was your date?”

_Not that I actually care._

I pulled out a clean bikini and a washcloth so I could clean the pie gunk off me.

“Oh, it was so nice! We went to a garden, and there was a fountain, and it was so pretty! I felt like I was in one of my romance novels!”

_I bet._

“But then, of course, Bobby told me straight away that you and he were a thing now, so it was just a friendly catch-up. Not that I was ever really interested in him, but I thought he was the safe choice, you know?”

_Obviously._

“Mmhmm,” I smiled and nodded, then headed for the door.

“But what about you?” She asked, giving me a conspiratorial smile. “You and Lucas were getting close before he left, and now he’s back.”

I stopped dead in my tracks.

“And you kissed him,” she continued, “in the challenge. That was an interesting development. We were all so curious about what went on between you two.”

I turned to stare at her. My first impressions had been that she seemed more confident, but now I wasn’t sure I liked that confidence. I gave her a brief smile, one that didn’t reach my eyes, and left.

_It’s none of your business._

I went to the bathroom to quickly clean as much cream off myself as possible, then headed downstairs. Lottie and Priya were sitting cross-legged on one of the beds, and I dropped onto it face-first between them.

“Whoa!” Priya laughed. “What’s up?”

I let out a loud groan as I propped myself up on my elbows.

“Have you guys seen Bobby?”

“I think he’s in the Beach Hut,” Lottie replied.

I sighed and lowered my eyes. “I need to talk to him, but he gave me the cold shoulder after the challenge. I’m so pissed off at myself.”

“Ah, it’s just a challenge,” Priya waved her hand dismissively. “You were exploring your options, that’s all.”

Lottie raised an eyebrow at her. “I don’t think you’d feel the same way if it was Arjun kissing Hannah.”

“No,” Priya shrugged, “but Josie’s situation is different. She liked Lucas before already, and her relationship with Bobby is still new.”

“I still don’t think it’s okay,” Lottie frowned. “Think how Bobby must have felt watching that.”

“I don’t want to think about it,” I groaned. “I saw it right on his face. And it made me feel like absolute shit.”

“So does this mean you’re giving Lucas a chance?”

I stared down at my hands.

_Well I certainly encouraged him, didn’t I? We have undeniable chemistry…_

“I need to talk to Bobby about it,” I finally said, “but yeah, there’s something there. I can’t just ignore it, as much as I hate to do this to him at this stage.”

“It’s only fair,” Priya agreed.

Lottie rolled her eyes. “Not fair to Bobby though, is it?”

A rapping sound caught our attention and I looked over my shoulder to see Bobby standing in the bedroom doorway.

“Can we talk?” he asked in a strained voice.

“Yes,” I replied, breathing a sigh of relief as I slid off the bed.

I followed him upstairs to the roof terrace and took a seat in a corner of the bench as he closed the door behind us. He sat facing me, but not close enough to touch.

“So,” he crossed his arms over his chest, “talk.”

“I’m sorry,” I breathed, flustered by how cold he was being. “Again. I didn’t mean to kiss him.”

He arched an eyebrow, and I realized how stupid I sounded.

“I don’t know what came over me.”

“That’s your excuse?”

“It’s not an excuse! I know I screwed up, and I’m sorry.”

Bobby shook his head in frustration, and I scrambled to find the right words.

“I mean—fuck—I told him during our date that things had changed, that you and I are together now. And we left it at that, he was disappointed but didn’t try to pursue things further. But I just—I couldn’t deny that we still had a connection, you know?”

I picked up a cushion and hugged it to my chest, feeling the need to do something with my arms.

“I just didn’t expect to see him again in here, and I thought I was over him, but… it just felt like we had unfinished business. Like we never got a chance to really see where things would go between us. And I knew that if he thought the door was closed, that he probably wouldn’t kiss me, but—I don’t know, I just felt like… like I needed to kiss him again. To see if that spark was still there.”

He snorted. “And was it?”

I looked down at the cushion in my hands, not wanting to give the response that I knew would hurt him most, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.

“Yeah,” I finally said in a quiet voice. “Yeah, it was.”

He was silent in response, and I couldn’t bring myself to look up and see his expression. I wished he would just yell at me; at least if he put up a fight it wouldn’t hurt so much to see him suffer.

After a minute or two of uncomfortable silence Bobby finally spoke.

“So what are you gonna do?”

“I… I need time to think things over.”

“You mean you need time to decide whether you want to throw away what we shared together to go after the new guy.”

I finally lifted my head to look at him. “Bobby, that’s not fair.”

“Isn’t that what it boils down to, though?” he asked, his eyes flashing. “You were all in last night, Josie. You know how I feel about you, you let me fuck you, and now you want someone else.”

“I don’t—” I hesitated, biting my lip.

_I kind of do, though, don’t I?”_

He breathed out a long sigh as he stood up.

“Figure out what you want, Josie.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

He stared back at me, his hand on the doorknob.

“So don’t.”

He opened the door, turned his back, and left a hollow feeling in my chest as he disappeared into the villa.

_Fuck._

I brought my knees up to my chest and buried my face in the cushion I was still holding, letting tears flow freely.

_How did I get myself into this situation?_

I should have known that things with Bobby were too good to be true. My Love Island journey had been fraught with drama and obstacles, and as soon as things started looking up, something happened to dash everything to pieces. Granted, I was to blame for most of it, my own mistakes continually leading me down a path of destruction, and things were no different this time.

Bobby had stood by me every time, always there for me, even when I hurt him, even when I did the wrong thing. It always made me feel like shit, yet here I was, doing it again, fully knowing what my actions would do to him.

_I don’t deserve him._

Maybe it was better this way. Maybe I just wasn’t the right girl for him, and it would be easier to break things off now, rather than to let things go further and inevitably hurt him even more deeply.

And yet… the thought of losing him now, just when I had realized my feelings for him, broke my heart as much as the thought of hurting him.

I heard the door open and someone clear their throat, and I lifted my head to see a concerned Lucas looking back at me. I straightened, wiping streaks of tears from my cheeks.

“Sorry,” he smiled sheepishly, “I can leave if you want.”

“No, it’s okay,” I replied, motioning for him to sit down. “I think I owe you a chat anyway.”

“Um, yeah,” he chuckled as he moved to sit on the bench, close enough to reach out and touch me, far enough for me to be comfortable. “So, the challenge. I didn’t expect that.”

I sighed, my shoulders slumping. “Yeah, me neither. I’m sor—”

“No need to apologize,” he smirked. “It was a pleasant surprise. After our date this morning, I thought that door was closed.”

“I know. I thought it was, and I intended to keep it that way. But the more we talked, the more I felt like the connection we had before…”

“Was still there?” he smiled. “I know, I felt it too.”

I nodded. “And you came back for me. I didn’t think it was fair to you to not at least give you a chance.”

“Thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate that.”

I smiled, feeling a nervous fluttering sensation in my belly as I looked at him, and I couldn’t help but wonder how things would have gone if he had never left the villa in the first place.

“Do you remember our first date?” he asked.

I raised an eyebrow. “Some of it, yeah.”

“Do you remember how I asked you a question about how you picture your future partner?”

I nodded slowly. “I think I said at home, just hanging out. Why?”

“I never told you what my answer would be.”

“Okay, and? Are you going to tell me now?”

He smiled. “Well, I’ve been doing some reflecting over the past couple weeks, and I think my answer has changed anyway from what it would have been back then.”

“Now I’m even more curious.”

He laughed. “Well, I probably would have said something fancy, like at a charity ball or in a high-end restaurant. But I realized when I was watching back the footage from the show that I didn’t like the side of myself that I was showing, or at least how it was portrayed. I guess I felt that I needed to be the dark, mysterious, self-assured guy that was different from everyone else. As if that would make me more desirable.”

I opened my mouth to respond but he held out his hand to stop me.

“Let me finish. There’s more to me than that, and I feel like maybe if I’d shown the more geeky, down-to-earth side of me, maybe I wouldn’t have been dumped.”

“Lucas…”

He shrugged. “I may be ‘posh,’” he held up his fingers in air-quotes, “but that’s just because of my environment growing up. I like long road trips on motorcycles, having long discussions about random stuff like aliens and conspiracies, just spending quality time with people I like. I like to help people. So to answer my own question, I don’t really have a specific place in mind where I picture my future partner, but I see them beside me, walking through life with me, just spending time together doing what each of us finds interesting.”

I smiled softly. “That’s really sweet. I like that.”

He grinned back at me, his eyes sparkling. “I was hoping you would.”

He grabbed a few cushions and set them next to me, then stretched out his legs as he laid back along the bench, using the cushions to prop his head up. He tilted his head backwards, looking up at me upside-down with a playful smirk.

I burst into laughter. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

He shrugged. “This feels really right.”

“What does?”

“Being up here, with you.”

My heartbeat quickened as a warm feeling washed over me.

“That’s really sweet,” I said quietly.

“I can be a really sweet guy,” he grinned.

I smiled, biting my lower lip as I looked down at him. “You might have to prove it to me.”

He chuckled. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do.”

“Well, you might have to try harder.”

“I’m up for the challenge. How about I start by showing you how sweetly I can kiss you?”

I nearly choked.

_Tempting. Oh, so tempting._

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea. It’s one thing during a challenge…”

“Don’t worry, I’m just kidding,” he smirked, folding his hands under his head. “But if anyone asks, I’ll just be here, in agony.”

“Oh, give over,” I laughed. My stomach rumbled loudly, and I realized that I hadn’t eaten anything since the date this morning, and even that had only been a little. I stood up and headed for the door. “I’ll leave you to your agony, then.”

“Heartbreaker!”

“You know it,” I giggled, shooting him a wink over my shoulder as I opened the door and made my way back into the villa.

*********

“Pass me my perfume?”

“Which one, you’ve got, like, a hundred.”

The dressing room was abuzz with activity, girls tripping over each other in their efforts to get ready, going all out for the party being held in honour of Hannah and Lucas returning.

“Is everyone ready to go downstairs?”

“Only since forever!” Hannah giggled. “I’m not about to miss my own party!”

_That’s too bad._

I put the final touches on my makeup, carefully swiping a bold pink lipstick over my lips, blotting it, and reapplying. Satisfied, I stood up and followed the other girls downstairs.

The boys were standing around in the kitchen surrounding Bobby, who was vigorously shaking a metal cocktail mixer over his shoulders. He screwed open the top and poured the contents into glasses filled with ice, then added a splash of grenadine, causing the red syrup to spread into the cocktail like tentacles.

“I call this one the Bobbyfish,” he said proudly.

“I didn’t realize you were a cocktail connoisseur,” Lucas said as he took a glass. He brought it to his lips and sipped it slowly, nodding his head in appreciation.

Bobby shrugged. “I’m just a pastry chef, but I’ve done a bit of experimenting here and there. Makes me popular at parties.”

I hung back, watching as Bobby and Lucas casually interacted with each other, acting completely natural as if nothing had happened earlier in the day that might cause tension between them. By all accounts, they were complete opposites – Lucas had classic good looks, an intense smoulder that made a girl want to drop her panties right then and there, and a charming, easy manner. Bobby was gorgeous in his own way, a way that made him more attractive the longer you looked at him. He was kind, funny, and generous to a fault. And the fact that he was laughing and joking with someone that could be seen as a rival…

“Ooh, can I get one of those?” Hannah’s voice cut through my thoughts, bringing my attention back to the rest of the group.

I sighed and shook my head at myself.

_Comparing them isn’t going to give you any clarity._

“I’ll make them!” Lottie volunteered. “I used to bartend at this upmarket place in Melbourne.”

“Sure, go ahead.” Bobby stepped aside and Lottie took over.

“Who else wants one?”

“Sure,” I said, stepping up to the counter and slipping onto a barstool. I looked at Bobby, trying to catch his eye, but he was studiously watching as Lottie poured different types of liqueurs into the cocktail shaker. By instinct I turned to Lucas instead, and he gave me a soft smile as I caught him glancing at me.

I smiled back, feeling a blush creep into my cheeks. I forced myself to look away, focusing my attention instead on Lottie as she expertly shook the cocktail shaker back and forth, the chunks of ice inside creating a loud rattle. She poured the drinks into the waiting glasses with a flourish.

“Voila!”

Lucas picked up a glass and held it out to me.

“Thank you,” I said, accepting it. Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw Bobby’s eyebrows raise as he looked between Lucas and me.

Lucas raised his glass. “A toast?”

Those of us with glasses raised them.

“To old friends,” Lottie said.

“To old friends!”

Our glasses clinked together, and Lucas’s hand brushed against mine, causing a tingling sensation to go through me as I brought the glass to my lips and took a sip.

“Oh god, Lottie, that’s amazing.”

“Absolutely delicious.”

“Thank you,” Lottie smiled.

Music began to play, and a group of islanders broke off to go dance, including Lucas. I stayed in the kitchen, nursing my cocktail and occasionally taking part in the conversation.

“Who do you think Hannah’s interested in?” Priya asked as she watched the red-haired girl dance with Shannon, Rahim, Marisol, and Elisa.

Bobby shrugged. “She didn’t really give any hints on our date. Just asked about how solid each couple was, that kind of thing. I think she was trying to get the lay of the land, see who might be available.”

“She didn’t really have much chance to form connections early on,” I said. “And only three of the guys she knew before are even still here.”

“She’s gonna have to act fast,” Priya nodded. “We’re getting close to the end, a recoupling could happen at any time.”

My chest tightened at the thought.

_Boys chose last time, so girls will get to choose. God, I hope I can figure things out before then._

“Who did she kiss during the challenge today?” Arjun asked.

“Lucas,” Bobby replied, and I raised my eyebrows at his quick response. “The safe choice.”

The words cut like a knife, the bitter tone twisting it deep into my gut.

_The safe choice… for her, not for me._

I lifted my glass to my mouth, savouring the burn in my throat as I threw back the rest of the liquid. The remaining ice cubes sloshed in the glass as I set it down hard on the counter, the impact causing a loud clink.

“Well, we’ll see what she does,” Arjun said. “She could potentially shake things up.”

Behind me, someone cleared their throat, and I spun my chair around to see Lucas standing there.

“Josie,” he smiled, holding out his hand, “care to dance?”

“Oh, um—” I turned to look at Bobby, raising my eyebrows.

Bobby was leaning against the refrigerator, cocktail glass raised to his mouth. He looked at Lucas over the rim of the glass, then at me, and simply shrugged.

I frowned, his indifference hurting even more than his anger. Not that I wanted him to be jealous or possessive, but I didn’t want him to just step aside, either. My feelings for Lucas didn’t change the fact that I still had strong feelings for Bobby, and I wanted to spend time with him.

I turned back to Lucas and accepted his hand, lowering my feet to the floor. As he led me to the lawn where the others were dancing, I looked back over my shoulder at Bobby once more. He wasn’t even looking, his head tilted back as he drank the rest of his cocktail.

“You okay?” Lucas’s voice sounded gently in my ear.

I smiled sadly up at him. “I’ll be alright. It’s just… I miss him. It’s only been a day, but—”

“I get it. You’re good friends, you’ve spent a lot of time together in here.” We reached the lawn and he pulled me towards him, his arms encircling my waist as my own wrapped around his neck as we began to sway to the slow beat of the song. “He’s just trying to protect himself. I know he cares a lot about you.”

I sighed as I rested my head on his chest, feeling the steady pumping of his chest. “I care a lot, too…” I said quietly.

The slow song ended and the beat picked up, and I tried to take my mind off things and just enjoy the feeling of music pumping through me and Lucas’s hands on me as we moved in time to the rhythm. Yet I couldn’t help but be hyper aware of where Bobby was at all times, my eyes constantly drifting over to where he stood in the kitchen.

Lucas was a great dancer, and at any other time I would be enjoying myself immensely, but my heart wasn’t fully in it. My mind flashed back to the Ministry of Sound party, the last time I had danced with Bobby, and my heart squeezed in my chest at the thought.

_He was angry with me that night, too, for a bit. And here I am, doing it again. He must be tired of me constantly messing shit up._

My back was pressed up against Lucas’s chest as I moved against him, his hands on my hips, our bodies slick with sweat, when I noticed Bobby’s eyes finally glance towards me. Our eyes met and even from a distance I could see them narrowing as his lips pressed together in a straight line. He turned and disappeared into the villa. I took a step away from Lucas, only for his hands to tighten around my waist.

“Don’t,” he said in a low voice. “Just give him time.”

“But—”

“He’ll talk to you when he’s ready.”

I shook his hands off me and stepped out of his arms, brushing him away as he reached for me again.

“Please, I can’t—"

“Josie?” Priya came towards me, looking concerned. “What’s going on?”

I grabbed her wrist and pulled her away from the dancing, towards the firepit, without a second glance at Lucas.

“What was that about?” she asked when we reached the firepit and sat down on the bench.

“Why can’t I do anything right?” I cried in frustration, tears pooling up in the corners of my eyes. “Bobby’s been cold with me all day, acted all indifferent about me dancing with Lucas, until just now he saw us together and ran off!”

She wrapped an arm around me, smoothing my hair with her hands as I covered my face with my hands and let the tears flow.

“I’m sorry, Josie,” she said, “I shouldn’t have pushed you towards Lucas.”

I shook my head. “It’s not your fault, Pri. I knew I shouldn’t do it, but I did it anyway.”

“Still, I encouraged you, and all it’s done is make two people I love upset.”

I sighed as she rubbed her hand across my back soothingly.

Lottie and Shannon came over, and I wiped my eyes with the back of my hands, thankful I had at least worn waterproof mascara.

“Did you see his face, though?” Lottie laughed. “Like, the guy was completely serious.”

“I wish I had,” Shannon smirked. “I wonder what that was about.”

“What’s up?” Priya asked as the two girls sat on the other side of her. I straightened, putting on a brave face as I smiled at them.

“Oh, just having a laugh at Gary’s expense,” Lottie grinned. “He won’t tell me why he thinks I put a hex on him, so we’re making wild guesses.”

“Ooh, sounds fun!” Priya exclaimed.

I tuned them out, my eyes trained on the villa entrance, waiting for Bobby to come back out so I could pull him for a chat.

“Girls! Girls!” Chelsea came bounding up to the firepit in a blur of pink. “I’ve got some V.I.F. for you!”

“You’re having a baby?” Lottie asked. “But I thought—"

“What? No! V.I.F.! Very important fact, remember?”

“Uh, no?”

“What is it, Chelsea?” Priya smiled encouragingly at her as she took a seat on the bench.

“Rahim just pulled Hannah for a chat!”

“Wait, what?” Shannon frowned. “Why?”

“Oh!” Chelsea’s eyes widened as she slapped her hands over her mouth. “Oh, sugar, I’ve gone and done it again!”

“What’s going on, Chels?”

“I don’t know, but, like, they’re talking in private! Don’t you remember, Shannon, how sad he was when she went home?”

Shannon’s eyes widened. “You don’t think—”

Without bothering to finish her sentence she bolted out of her seat and charged across the lawn to where Rahim and Hannah were sitting in the outdoor lounge.

“Think what? What’s going on, Chelsea?”

“Rahim liked Hannah in the beginning!” she blurted. “She was his second choice after you, Priya!”

“ _What?!_ ”

“Oh my god! He wouldn’t—but Shannon’s his girlfriend!” Lottie quickly stood to her feet. “I’m going over there.”

_Holy fuck…_

Lottie ran after her, and as Shannon reached the lounge she started waving her arms, yelling at Rahim as Hannah sat there like a deer in the headlights.

Her voice was raising steadily and soon we could hear her screams loud and clear from the firepit.

“MR. FUCKING BOYFRIEND, MR. FUCKING FAKE DICKHEAD… TWO DAYS! _TWO_ DAYS!”

Rahim started yelling back, pointing at his chest and throwing his hands up in frustration.

“What the hell…” Priya breathed out in shock as we watched the scene unfold.

“Oops,” Chelsea bit her thumbnail, her eyes wide. “I didn’t mean for that to happen…”

“I’m just glad it’s not me for once,” I said. “It’s about time someone else created some drama.”

_Seriously, I need popcorn for this._

I was too distracted by the fight to notice Bobby coming back out of the villa, until I saw him walk towards Hannah. He spoke a few brief words to her and she stood up, letting him lead her away from the screaming match she had found herself in the middle of.

_Dammit, missed him._

I knew Bobby wasn’t interested in Hannah, but I couldn’t stop the jealousy from rising up within me as I watched him comfort her, wishing it were me that was sitting next to him. Wishing I hadn’t fucked up and made him pull away from me.

“Well, that was entertaining,” Priya said, her voice pulling my attention away to see that Shannon was scurrying off towards the villa with Lottie close on her heels. Rahim was still sitting on the couch, his head in his hands, surrounded by the rest of the guys.

“Should we, maybe, like, go after Shannon? And comfort her?” Chelsea asked. “I feel bad.”

“Yeah, we should,” Priya agreed. “Come, Josie.”

I groaned, but followed them anyway.

_I guess the best way to distract myself from my own troubles is to invest myself in someone else’s, right?_

*********

By the time I crawled into bed, I was exhausted.

_Was it really just last night that Bobby and I slept together?_

The other side of my bed was empty, and I looked around the room for Bobby. Most of the couples were already in bed or at the very least, hanging around the room talking. Shannon was alone in her bed, Rahim nowhere to be seen. Elisa and Marisol were in the hideaway.

“Arjun, have you seen Bobby?”

He looked around the room before shrugging. “Nope.”

I sighed as I threw the duvet back off and stood up.

_Living room? Maybe he made another blanket fort._

I left the bedroom and peeked into the living room, only to find Rahim spread out on the couch, staring at the ceiling. He glanced over as I opened the door.

“Oh, sorry,” I said. “Just looking for Bobby.”

“I think he’s outside.”

“Okay, thanks!”

_What’s he doing outside?_

I went back through the bedroom and out the exterior door into the kitchen. No Bobby. I looked out over the lawn and the decking, finally spotting a lump under the covers of one of the daybeds. My heart sank at the sight.

_Is he really so mad that he won’t even share a bed tonight?_

I tiptoed over to the daybed and sat down on the opposite edge from where Bobby lay.

“Bobby…”

He didn’t respond, and I let out a frustrated sigh.

“Bobby, come to bed.”

There was still no response, but I knew from his breathing that he was still awake.

“For fuck’s sake,” I mumbled, pulling back the duvet and slipping under it, shifting closer to Bobby. “Are you going to talk to me?”

There was a moment of silence before he finally spoke. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“I just don’t want you to keep pushing me away like this.”

“What do you want me to do, fight for you? I shouldn’t have to!”

I blinked, the words cutting deep. It was true, he didn’t. I already knew his feelings for me, and I knew my own for him. “No, I don’t—you don’t need to fight for me, just… I can’t handle you being like this.”

“Like what?”

“Cold. Distant.”

“How did you expect me to react, Josie?” He finally rolled over to face me, his brow furrowed and frustration in his voice. “You want me to pretend everything is fine, act as if you might not choose at any moment to throw me over for another guy?”

“No! I don’t know, just—” I blinked back the tears that were welling up again. “Ugh, see, this is exactly why I was scared to get involved with you in the first place!”

“Well, it’s a little late to put me back in the friendzone now!”

“So, what, it’s all or nothing?”

He rolled onto his back and pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. “No. I don’t know, I—I can’t answer that.”

“Just don’t push me away, Bobby,” I said quietly. I shuffled over, moving closer to him and wrapping my arm around his waist, needing to hold him. “Don’t push me directly into his arms.”

He sighed and rolled back onto his side to face me. He brought a hand up to my face, tucking my hair behind my ear and stroking my cheek.

“Josie, last night meant something to me,” he said, his voice soft and low.

“It did for me, too—”

“Shh,” he placed a finger over my lips, silencing me. “I finally got everything I’ve wanted since the very beginning, you gave me everything… and then you took it away. You know how many times I’ve been burned before? How many girls have only wanted to be friends once a better option came along? I thought things might be different this time. I thought maybe…”

My heart was breaking at his words as his voice trailed off. I couldn’t bring myself to give him the reassurance that he needed, not when I didn’t know yet what I was going to do. I knew that what I felt for him was real, but deep down, it scared me. And I couldn’t deny that there was still something drawing me towards Lucas, something I wasn’t ready to shut the door on quite yet.

I leaned towards him, pressing a soft kiss on his shoulder, and his body stiffened under my lips as he moved backwards, away from me.

“Don’t,” he said, his voice strained.

“Bobby, please…”

“Just… just go. I can’t be in the same bed with you right now, not when there’s something—someone—between us.”

“I’m sorry.”

Reluctantly, I shuffled back over to the other side and got up from the bed, walking away on shaky legs, tears streaming down my face, causing the fairy lights overhead to blur into a kaleidoscope as I navigated my way back towards the bedroom. I tiptoed into the dark room and slid into bed, burying myself under the covers as I quietly sobbed into my pillow and slipped into an uneasy sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos/comments 👇 are always appreciated! 💕


	36. Decision Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the last recoupling!!!

“I’ve got a text!” Elisa called out as she propped herself up against the headboard of her bed. The room quieted as everyone stopped their morning chatter to listen.

I looked over at Bobby’s side of the bed, which was neat, untouched, and unslept-in. I felt a twinge of guilt and regret, wishing I could do yesterday over again and not make such a mess of things.

“’Islanders, tonight there will be a recoupling. Girls, it’s time to choose once and for all which Islander you want to be coupled up with. #mixitup #lastchancerecoupling.’”

I groaned as I sank back into my pillow.

_Today? Already?_

It was decision time, and I wasn’t ready. Lucas had only been back for a day, and I had spent half that time fighting with or worrying about Bobby. How was I supposed to choose so soon?

“What? Today?” Chelsea looked around the room, her mouth agape. “And _all_ the girls get to pick? Even the ones who aren’t coupled up?”

_There’s only one single girl, Chels…_

“Yes, Chelsea,” Lottie smiled. “All the girls.”

“Final recoupling, girls,” Priya said. “Whoever you pick tonight is your partner until we leave the villa.”

“I’m excited!” Hannah grinned. “It’s nice to have the power over my own fate this time.”

Shannon grunted, glaring at Hannah. “Some of us will have the power. Others won’t get much choice.”

_Yikes. This is a bad time for Shannon. Who is she going to pick? Would she stick with Rahim?_

I looked again at Bobby’s empty half of the bed, then over at Lucas. He was already looking at me, and he raised his eyebrows in an unspoken question. I shrugged. I had no clue what I was going to do, and was going to have to make the most of the day.

I sighed as I dragged myself out of bed and headed to the dressing room to get ready for the day, listening to Chelsea going on about cat cafes.

“You can play bingo, drink tea and have cake, all while stroking adorable pussy-cats!”

_Sounds like something my nan would enjoy._

“Let’s talk recoupling,” Priya said as we entered the room. “Are there any surprises in store for us?”

“Seems like we’ve got a couple wildcards,” Lottie responded, glancing over at Hannah and me as she sat at the vanity. “I’m sticking with Henrik, though.”

“Even after your argument yesterday?”

She shrugged. “I wasn’t happy in the moment, but he was just being Henrik. He meant well, and there’s no point holding a grudge over it.”

“Aww, Lottie. You’ve really grown.”

“Have I?” she smirked. “I suppose you might be right.”

“I’m picking my Garebear!” Chelsea beamed. “He’s so sweet!”

“What about you, Josie?” Marisol asked as she rummaged through her cupboard. “Seems like you and Lucas still have some chemistry.”

I sighed, not wanting to get into it. “I don’t know yet. I like Bobby, I really do, but…”

“But Lucas is sexy and rich,” Elisa smirked.

I frowned. “There’s more to him than that. He’s a really nice guy, and it’s tough knowing that whichever guy I don’t choose is going to be hurt.”

“I think it’s so sweet that he came back for you,” Hannah said. “Do you know that he badgered the producers to let him back on?”

“What?”

“Oh, yeah! Lucas told me that ever since Henrik coupled up with Blake and you were single again, he was trying to get back into the villa, wanting a second chance. That’s why they called me back, too! Of course, we had to wait for Elisa and Jo…”

She continued talking, but I didn’t hear what she was saying, too caught up in what I had just heard.

_Lucas was the one that asked to come back? It wasn’t just some twist the producers came up with to create drama?_

The idea was as frightening as it was exciting. It was one thing to think that Lucas had jumped at the opportunity to come back, but quite another to know that he had been begging for it. He had been waiting all this time, watching me deal with the pain and heartache, and instead of just sitting back, powerless to do anything about it, he had been trying to find a way to get me back.

What if he had come in a few days earlier? I may not have realized my feelings for Bobby. I wouldn’t have slept with him. I probably would have jumped at the chance of coupling up with Lucas, instead of being so torn between them.

It felt like my heart was on a pendulum, swinging back and forth between Lucas and Bobby with every new piece of information, every moment I shared with either of them.

“Just remember, it’s the last recoupling. You’ve gotta follow your heart, pick the person you think you have the best chance of making it with on the outside.”

“Or the person you’ve got the best chance of winning Love Island with.”

The girls laughed.

_I don’t care about winning… but can I see myself with either Bobby or Lucas on the outside?_

That was a tough question to answer. Being in the villa bubble was one thing, but outside, going about our regular everyday activities? Could I make a relationship work with either of them? And if so, which one? How could I even know the answer to that without trying it?

*********

As if the producers were reading my thoughts, we received a text and were now standing on the challenge stage, ready to start a couples’ compatibility challenge hosted by Lucas and Hannah. The sign on the stage read, “Happily Ever After,” and there were red hearts all across the platform leading to a wedding arch at the other end.

_Perfect way to figure out if Bobby and I are compatible, right?_

I grabbed a couple chalkboards and pieces of chalk and walked over to Bobby.

“Hey,” I said as I handed him his board.

“You sure you don’t want to do this with Lucas?” he asked, his tone rife with bitterness.

I frowned. “Bobby, that’s not—”

“I know,” he sighed, running his fingers through his dreads. “I’m sorry. Let’s just see how this goes.”

We took our place at one end of the challenge stage, standing on a red heart marked on the floor, and settled into an awkward silence.

“Okay Islanders,” Hannah smiled on the sideline, “this is how it works. We’ll ask you a question about where you see yourselves in the next five years.”

“You and your partner will write your responses on your boards,” Lucas added. “If your answers match you can take a step forward.”

“First couple to the arch wins the challenge, and a bottle of champers!”

Lucas picked up a card and the challenge began.

“Couples, for your first holiday will you go to the beach or do something adventurous?”

The couples each turned their boards away from their partners as they wrote their answers.

“Alright, let’s see your answers!”

One by one, each couple flipped their boards over to reveal their responses.

Henrik’s board said, ‘Adventure,’ while Lottie’s said, ‘Beach.’

“Seriously?” she scoffed. “You climb for work! Wouldn’t you want a break?”

He shrugged. “There’s more than just climbing. Hiking, camping, boating...”

“But beaches are relaxing! That’s what holidays are all about!”

“I think it’s fun to be adventurous, though.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

“Josie and Bobby?”

I had written ‘Adventure,’ and was pleased to see that Bobby had done the same.

“Beaches are nice,” he said, “but after weeks in the villa I’m itching to go do something fun.”

“I agree,” I smiled up at him. “And you can have adventures anywhere.”

The corner of his mouth turned up slightly, sending a rush of warmth through me. I hadn’t realized how much I missed seeing him smile at me.

“Next question: would you rather cook at home or dine out?”

_If Bobby’s cooking? At home._

He wrote the same thing, of course, and we moved forward another step. As the questions kept coming, we had a mixed bag of responses, but they were all minor things – stuff like beer or wine, books or television, a house or a flat. Nothing that actually mattered in the long run. Bobby was telling jokes and softening towards me, and it felt like we were getting back on track. And yet I couldn’t help but sneak glances at Lucas, wondering what his responses would be.

“Okay, next question. Will you be a dog or cat couple?”

I quickly wrote down my response and waited for the others to do the same.

“Chelsea and Gary?”

“Dog,” Gary grinned, revealing his board. “Man’s best friend.”

“Guinea pig!”

Gary turned to Chelsea with a frown. “Hun, what? The question is cat or dog.”

“But I don’t want either of those! I want a guinea pig! Or maybe a pug.”

“Too late,” Hannah said, “you can’t change your answer now. Sorry!”

“Bobby and Josie?” Lucas asked.

“Dogs all the way,” Bobby said. “They’re loyal and caring.”

“Cats. They clean themselves and you don’t have to walk them.”

“No step forward for you, then,” Hannah said. “Priya and Arjun?”

_No big deal. Pets aren’t a dealbreaker._

I glanced over at Lucas and found him already looking at me, his lips turned up into a slight smirk. When he noticed me looking, he winked, and I flushed as I looked away.

Priya and Arjun moved forward, taking the lead over Marisol and Elisa.

“Moving in is a big step. Whose hometown will you live in?”

_Oh. Oh, no._

Up until that moment, I hadn’t even considered the fact that we lived so far apart. Glasgow and London were practically on different ends of the United Kingdom, and although it was a short flight between the two, it was still long distance. And growing up as I had, the child of divorced parents who lived on different continents entirely, distance was something I wasn’t exactly fond of.

My parents had met while my dad was travelling abroad. My Irish mother had moved to Canada to be with him, but she was never quite able to adjust. It had caused a strain in their relationship, and eventually she had left, taking me back to Ireland and eventually to London. And while I had spent my life living in three different countries and was used to moving around, I was happy with my life in London and could understand that long distance relationships were often hard to make work.

_Lucas lives in Oxford. That’s way easier to manage._

“Josie?”

“Hm?” I looked up to find the others looking at me.

“You haven’t answered the question yet.”

“Oh! Sorry!” I bit my lower lip as I raised the chalk to the chalkboard, hesitating as I tried to figure out what to write.

_Ah, fuck. I’m just gonna say mine._

I quickly wrote my response and turned it over. Bobby’s board said ‘hers,’ and I raised an eyebrow.

“What?” he shrugged. “There are hospitals and bakeries everywhere. I’m not opposed to moving.”

“You’d do that for me?”

He smiled. “Well, I mean, yeah… if we ever get to the point where it would make sense.”

“But aren’t you close with your family? You’d miss them.”

“Yeah, I would. But they’d just be a short plane ride away, and there’s always FaceTime.”

I smiled, but inside my worries weren’t alleviated. I appreciated that he said he’d move, but he made it sound so easy. I knew firsthand that it wasn’t.

“This is a big one,” Lucas said as he picked up the next question. “Do you want children in the next five years?”

I snuck a peak at Bobby and saw him smiling as he wrote down his answer.

_Bobby’s definitely a kid person. But what do I want?_

I had never been the type of person that really wanted to be a mother. When I pictured my future, I thought of my career and a significant other, but kids? I wasn’t so sure. Dealing with my parents’ divorce had been tough, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to risk doing that to my own children. Either way, it was a serious discussion for a serious relationship, not a throwaway answer in a challenge.

I wrote ‘No.’

_It’s just a challenge. I’d rather stay true to myself and lose than pick an answer I’m not sure about just to please someone else._

Sure enough, Bobby had written ‘yes,’ and he looked a little disappointed at my answer.

“I’m not saying I never want kids,” I said with a shrug, “I just think it’s a big decision for two people to make between themselves.”

“Besides,” Marisol interjected, “the challenge is supposed to be about the next five years, right? I’m more worried about my career, I’m certainly not thinking about starting a family anytime soon.”

“You’re right,” Hannah agreed. “I want kids, but probably not in the next five years. I’m still young, I’ve got plenty of time to live my life before thinking about children.”

The challenge continued, and after a couple more questions Priya and Arjun made it to the arch.

“Congrats, Priya and Arjun!” Lucas smiled, and everyone gave them a round of applause. “And in second place, Marisol and Elisa!”

Bobby and I finished in the middle tied with Gary and Chelsea, then Lottie and Henrik, while Shannon and Rahim finished in last. I was pretty sure Shannon had purposely written some incorrect responses, just to annoy him.

“Let’s crack open this bottle and enjoy our prize, babe,” Arjun said as he slung his arm over Priya’s shoulder.

She smiled up at him and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “You’re my prize.”

“Awww,” I smiled as I went up to them and wrapped my arms around them both. “Couple goals, right here.”

They laughed and accepted me into a group hug, then we started walking back together towards the villa.

“Hey, Josie?”

Bobby’s voice made me stop and turn around. He was looking at me nervously, his hand rubbing the back of his neck.

“Yes, B?”

“Can we chat?”

“Of course.”

I stepped back towards him and we both took a seat on the platform steps. I leaned back on my arms and waited for him to speak. He sat with his hands in his lap, twiddling his thumbs as he looked down at them, his brows furrowed in thought.

“So, the final recoupling is tonight,” he finally said. “I just wanted to get an idea of what you were planning to do. I… I don’t want to be blindsided.”

“Do you even still want me to pick you?”

He turned to look at me, his eyes wide.

“Of course I do, I—” he hesitated, snapping his mouth shut and pursing his lips as he looked back at his hands. “I want to be with you. But I don’t want to influence your decision. It’s your choice.”

I sighed as I stared into the distance, watching the retreating figures of the other islanders as they returned to the villa.

“I honestly don’t know, B. I was hoping the challenge might clarify things, but if anything it only muddied the waters.”

“Is it the kids thing?” he asked quietly. “Because I’m not upset. I totally understand your point.”

“It’s not just that. I don’t think it makes sense to base the compatibility of a relationship on whether or not your answers match in challenge.”

I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around my legs, resting my chin on my knees.

“It’s just the whole relationship thing. That’s the point, isn’t it?”

“What are you trying to say, Josie?”

I hesitated before responding. “Do you honestly think we would work on the outside?”

He chuckled softly. “It’s hard to say for sure, but I know I want to try.”

I smiled as relief washed over me. Knowing that he still wanted to be with me after the mess of the day before was a huge weight off my shoulders – him being angry with me hadn’t been helping me figure out my own feelings.

“I guess we should get back,” I said as I stood. “I should have a chat with Lucas, too.”

“Ah, forget about him,” Bobby waved his hand dismissively with a smile. “Just pick me.”

“We’ll see,” I laughed as I held out a hand to help him up. He took it and rose to his feet, and suddenly we were only inches apart. I swallowed as I looked up at him, my pulse racing as his eyes lowered to my mouth. I leaned towards him, my eyes closing instinctively.

“Boop.” His finger tapped against the tip of my nose, and my eyes flew open.

“You booped me!” I pouted.

“Absolutely. The boopiest of boops.”

“But I want a kiss.”

“Nope, no kisses until you’re mine.”

“Technically, I still am yours.”

“Doesn’t count.”

“Please?”

“Nope! Nope, not doing it. Now come on, let’s get back to the villa.”

********

I took my seat on the bench around the firepit, my heart pounding as I looked at the guys lined up in front of us. It was time for the recoupling, and I had been flip-flopping all day over what I was going to do.

I had made a point of spending time with both Bobby and Lucas, and I had to admit that my chats with Lucas had been… illuminating. We had a lot in common, and now that he was opening up more to reveal who he really was, it was only adding to the attraction.

Now it was time, and I still hadn’t come to a conclusion.

I looked over at Bobby. He seemed nervous, shifting his weight from one side to the other. He saw me and gave me a reassuring smile, which sent waves of warmth through me. In many ways, Bobby would be the comfortable choice, the safe choice. I knew what I was getting with him, and I knew that my feelings for him were real.

And yet that was exactly what scared me. When Bobby confessed that he liked me, I had been afraid of things changing between us. When they didn’t, and I realized I liked him back, I had jumped in with both feet, forgetting my former worries. I was impulsive, and all it did was cause hurt. What would happen the next time I did something to hurt him? Would I inevitably break his heart so bad that we couldn’t fix it? And what would happen if we got serious only for things to not work out? Would I lose my best friend?

Lucas, on the other hand, stood straight, looking confident. The light of the fire glinted against his dark eyes, his gaze intent as he sent a seductive smirk in my direction. The man was sexy as hell, and the fact that he wanted me sent shivers down my spine. In addition to our mutual attraction and common interests, we got along well. It seemed reasonable to assume that we would be able to make a go of a relationship on the outside.

But I also had only known him for a few days, compared to a few weeks with Bobby. What if my feelings were just a passing fancy? What if he was just a mirage, someone that seemed perfect and compatible but upon closer inspection there was nothing there beyond attraction? Was I willing to risk my relationship with Bobby over an experiment?

_DING!_

I didn’t have much time to figure it out.

Priya stood up. “It’s me.”

Arjun smiled widely at her as she fixed her gaze on him.

“I’d like to couple up with this boy because ever since I met him, he’s been surprising me. When I came in here, I expected to stir things up and have some fun, but never did I expect to meet someone who gets me as well as this man does. He wasn’t what I was looking for, but he ended up being exactly what I needed.”

I smiled as I looked up at her, the love shining from her eyes.

“The boy I’d like to couple up with is Arjun.”

He bounded over to her and grabbed her in a bear hug, swinging her around as she squealed. When he set her down, their lips met in a passionate kiss.

“Get a room, guys,” Gary laughed.

Priya flipped him the middle finger before finally pulling away from Arjun and they took their seats.

Chelsea beamed as her phone chimed, indicating she was next to choose.

“Ever since I walked into the villa, I’ve fancied the pants off this boy—”

“Literally,” Gary grinned.

“Gary! TMI!”

“Sorry, love.”

She rolled her eyes. “Anyway, since coming into the villa, this boy has been the only one for me. The boy I choose is Gary!”

Gary turned to the other boys, holding up his hands for high fives before running over to Chelsea. She jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist as he held her up and kissed her.

Marisol was next and stuck with Elisa, and then Lottie stayed true to her word and chose Henrik.

And finally, it was decision time for me.

I wiped my sweaty palms on my dress, took a deep breath, and stood up. I couldn’t bear to look at either man, so I stared into the firepit instead, willing the mesmerizing glow of the flames to calm me down.

“Go with your heart,” Priya whispered.

My hands were shaking so I clasped them behind my back, exhaling slowly.

_Here goes nothing._

“This is… honestly, one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make. There are two guys here who are completely different but I feel like I have a connection with both. They’re both great guys, which makes it really difficult to choose between them…”

I paused, taking a moment to briefly close my eyes and gather my thoughts.

_This is it. Decision time._

“I want to couple up with this boy because he’s thoughtful, kind, and we have great chemistry. I feel like I can be myself around him, and I really do want to see what the future holds for us, both in the villa and outside it. The boy I want to couple up with is…”

I swallowed, inhaled, and looked up into the eyes of the man I wanted by my side, my heart fluttering as they gazed nervously back at me.

“… Bobby.”

Bobby’s broad grin lit up his face. He raised his eyebrows and pointed at his chest, as if he couldn’t believe he had heard his name. I nodded, smiling back at him as the knot in my stomach unwound and the weight of the last two days slid off my shoulders.

With a few short steps he was standing in front of me, and all I could see were freckles and the golden glow of amber eyes as his hands cupped my face and everything else melted away. And then I could see nothing at all, as my eyes closed and his lips were on mine, tasting me, savouring me for what felt like hours but was really only a few moments. He broke away and we sat, his arm around me as my body pressed into his side.

It felt right. And yet as I stole a glance at Lucas, standing opposite me on the other side of the firepit, I couldn’t shake a twinge of regret. For all I knew, he and I might have worked out. The timing hadn’t been right for us, and I wondered what could have been. And by giving him hope, I had made things worse in the end.

Hannah stood up and smiled at the remaining men in front of her.

“I’ll admit, when I left the villa in the first week, I never expected to be back here, getting a second chance at love. I made mistakes the first time around, but I’m not going to make them twice. Being outside of the villa for those two weeks gave me a lot of clarity on what I wanted and what I needed to do, and I’m not letting anyone stop me this time. I want to couple up with this boy because he saw something in me and took a risk. He’s sweet, caring, and I’m looking forward to finally getting to spend more time with him. The boy I want to couple up with is Rahim.”

“Crazy,” Bobby whispered as Rahim went up to Hannah and kissed her cheek as she threw her arms around his neck.

“Did she say anything to you?” I whispered back.

He shook his head, and we watched as Shannon stood up, glaring at Hannah and Rahim.

“Well, this isn’t exactly how I expected my Love Island journey to go, but I guess there are always going to be those dicks that you can’t trust. Good luck with that one,” she turned to Hannah and nodded her head at Rahim, “you’ll need it. Anyway, I would like to couple up with this boy because he seems like a good bloke, and I haven’t really got any other choice, have I? So the boy I’d like to couple up with is Lucas.”

We all clapped politely as Lucas walked up to Shannon, giving her a light peck on the cheek and leading her back to the bench.

“So, um,” Gary said, tugging at the collar of his shirt, “drinks, anyone?”

“Good idea!” Hannah jumped from her seat and grabbed Rahim’s hand, pulling him along with her towards the kitchen to escape any awkwardness.

The other couples began to disperse as well. Lucas glanced quickly over his shoulder at me, his eyes dark and searching, as if he were begging me to ask him to stay, before following Shannon to the daybeds. I knew I needed to talk things over with him at some point, but this was time I needed to spend with Bobby.

“I feel bad for Lucas and Shannon,” Bobby said as he watched them walk away. “That’s a tough spot to be in.”

I nodded. “I can’t even imagine how she’s feeling.”

“Not gonna lie, I’m glad I don’t know how _he’s_ feeling.”

I shifted my body to face him and reached up to cup his face with my hand, stroking his cheek with my thumb.

“I’m sorry that I put you through that.”

He leaned towards me to kiss me, but I put my hand over my mouth, stopping him. I giggled as he looked at me with consternation.

“I have an idea,” I smiled.

He raised his eyebrows. “Go on.”

“I want it to be a surprise, though.”

“I’m surprised.”

“No, silly,” I laughed. “Give me fifteen minutes, then meet me back here.”

“And what am I supposed to do in the meantime?”

“I dunno, go hang out with Gary.”

Bobby groaned. “He’s probably making out with Chelsea somewhere. Or worse.”

“Fine, then go chill out with Shannon and Lucas. You can comfort her.”

He made a face. “But—”

“Please, just let me do this for you. You always do so much for me.”

“You don’t have to—”

“ _Bobby_.”

“Oh, fine,” he grinned. “But only because I like you.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re lucky I like you, too.”

“I know,” he winked.

*********

Fifteen minutes later, I was sitting on the firepit bench, tapping my foot on the ground as I waited for Bobby to join me. He didn’t keep me waiting long, a curious look on his face as he made his way over. I smiled, trying to quell the nervous butterflies in my stomach as I looked at him.

“What’s all this, then?” he asked as he approached.

I stood up and stepped towards him, wrapping my arms around his neck and lifting onto my toes to press a kiss to his lips.

“Do you like s’mores?”

His face lit up. “I love s’mores! Who doesn’t?”

“Crazy people.”

“And you think I’m crazy?”

“Sometimes,” I laughed. “C’mon.”

I grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the bench, where I had set a tray containing digestive biscuits, milk chocolate squares, and marshmallows, along with two mugs of steaming hot chocolate. Beside the tray was a folded blanket.

“You made hot chocolate, too?”

“Mmhmm.”

“With boiled milk, right? Not water?”

I rolled my eyes as I stifled a laugh. “Don’t worry, B, I made it with milk.”

“Good, because using water is a crime.”

I handed him a metal skewer I’d found in the kitchen and we each skewered a marshmallow and held them over the flames.

“This is such a great idea, Josie. I love it.”

“Good.”

I slid my arm around his waist and he did the same as we stood wordlessly in front of the fire.

“Watch it, B, yours is gonna fall off.”

“No, it won’t.”

He raised his skewer just in time to prevent the marshmallow from sliding off the end.

“See? It didn’t.”

“Dork.”

“You love it.”

“… Maybe.”

The marshmallows were unevenly browned, but it was as good as we were going to get without real coals. We sandwiched them along with the chocolate in between two biscuits, then took a seat on the bench, wrapping the blanket around our shoulders.

“This is nice and cozy,” he said. He raised his s’more to his lips and took a bite. “Mm. Sho good.”

“Glad you approve.”

We fell into a comfortable silence as we each ate our s’mores, and then I handed him his hot chocolate.

He took a sip and licked his lips contentedly. “Perfect.”

“Good.”

“Well, maybe a _little_ too sweet, but—”

“Bobby!”

“I’m joking! I love it.”

“You’d better, or it’s the last time I do something nice for you.” I snuggled into his side as I slowly sipped my hot chocolate, the liquid and his body heat warming me to my toes.

“So, you picked me,” he said after a few minutes.

“You noticed that, did you?” I smirked.

He chuckled. “I might’ve noticed, yeah. There were definitely a few moments where I thought you wouldn’t, though.”

I reached for his hand beneath the blanket and held it tight. “I’m sorry for making you feel that.”

“I don’t blame you. Lucas is a great guy, and you did have something going on before me. It was only fair that you got to know him better.”

“Thanks for understanding.”

“Why’d you pick me, though? Lucas is hot, rich, charming—”

“But he’s not you,” I interrupted. “And when it came down to it, that was what mattered most. I may have a crush on Lucas, but my feelings for you are real, and I want to see where they lead.”

My breath caught in my throat as he looked at me with such warmth in his eyes that it set my heart ablaze. Our faces were close, and I could feel his breath ghosting upon my skin as his eyes flicked to my lips. I lifted my face and he closed the distance, covering my mouth gently with his own. The kiss was sweet, tasting like chocolate and marshmallow, and although it was soft and slow, I could sense his need for more, simmering beneath the surface.

My empty mug slipped through my fingers, falling on the floor with a thud and rolling over as I wrapped my hand around the back of Bobby’s neck, pulling him closer as I leaned into him to deepen the kiss. His tongue slid over mine as he wrapped his arms around me, the blanket falling away from our shoulders.

His lips moved away from mine and began trailing along my jaw, then upwards toward my ear. Despite the heat of the fire and the warmth of the hot chocolate running through me, a shiver ran down my spine as his tongue flicked against the sensitive spot behind my ear, evoking a low moan from my lips as my fingernails dug into his back. He paused there for a moment, breathing in deeply before shifting to press another soft kiss onto my lips and drawing back to look me in the eyes.

“Glad I picked you?” I smirked.

He grinned and cupped my face with his hands, pulling me towards him to kiss my forehead. “Over the moon. I don’t even know what I would do if you hadn’t.”

“Let’s not think about that, then.”

I pulled the blanket back over my shoulder and snuggled into his side, draping my legs over his to get even closer.

“Lass.”

“Mmhmm?”

“I want more s’mores.”

I giggled. “You mean you want _some more_ s’mores?”

He gasped and clutched his chest in mock horror. “How did I not think of that first?”

“I think I’ve been spending too much time with you,” I smiled.

“Impossible,” he grinned. “I love it.”

I lowered my legs back to the ground and unwrapped myself from around him, then reached for the skewers and marshmallows. I handed him one of each, then slid another marshmallow onto my own skewer. We crouched in front of the fire, holding the marshmallows over the open flame.

“Watch your marshmallow, B.” I nudged him as his stick lowered dangerously close to the fire.

“It’s fine.”

“You’re too impatient, you’ve gotta hold it higher.”

“It’ll be fine.”

The flames licked higher, and sure enough, his marshmallow caught fire.

“Whoops!” He lifted it to his mouth and blew hard on it, then waved the stick in the air until the flame extinguished.

“I t—”

“Don’t even go there!”

“—old you so,” I smirked as I rotated my own stick, the marshmallow starting to brown on the sides.

He examined his marshmallow, wrinkling his nose at the blackened char, then shrugged his shoulders, peeled the burnt layer, and stuffed it in his mouth.

“It’s not bad, actually.”

“Could’ve been better if you’d listened to me.”

He slid the rest of the gooey mess off the skewer and popped it into his mouth, licking his fingers to suck the remnants off.

I lifted my own skewer away from the fire, satisfied with the golden colour, and put my s’more together. As I took a bite, I caught him looking at it longingly, and shook my head.

“No way, make your own.”

“But yours looks good and I’m impatient.”

“Too bad, it’s mine.”

“Pleeeaaase?”

I took another bite, then rolled my eyes at the sad puppy face he was making as I chewed.

“Oh, fine.”

I held it out to him and his face lit up as he took it and scarfed it down.

“I think I found your cooking weakness,” I laughed.

“Shut up,” he said as he finished chewing.

He had a small bit of chocolate and marshmallow on the side of his mouth, making me giggle.

“What? Is there something on my face?” He wiped the wrong side of his mouth.

I bit my lip to contain my laughter and then leaned over, licking the smudge and then pulling him into a sugary kiss.

“All gone,” I smiled.

A high-pitched shriek behind us pulled our attention away from each other and we turned to see Chelsea bounding towards us.

“Are you making s’mores? What a great idea! That’s so cute!”

The moment broken, I pulled away from Bobby and smiled up at Chelsea.

“We are, do you want some?”

I didn’t even mind the interruption, I was too happy to care. Bobby and I were back in a good place, and that was all that mattered. I took his hand and interlaced our fingers as some of the other islanders began drifting towards us, drawn in by their curiosity.

_I think I made the right choice._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos/Comments are always appreciated!! ❤
> 
> You guys... this is it, this is the final stretch. 😭 This might be the last full-day chapter, too, as there would've been only 5 chapters left but for the sake of my sanity and not writing 10k word chapters, I'll probably be writing shorter chapters going forward.
> 
> And not gonna lie, I had this chapter written and almost went back and rewrote it to have Josie pick Lucas, just to draw out the tension even longer. Evil? Yes, it would have been. If it weren't for the s'mores scene, there's a very good chance I would've done it. Speaking of which, inspiration for the s'mores scene was taking from LI US S2. I don't always note my references for stuff since it's usually from the UK version, but in this case I figured I'd point it out for those who haven't seen it (fans of the show should check it out, it's very entertaining!)


	37. Couple Goals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, I'm not a huge fan of this chapter, but oh well!

Fingertips lightly danced across the exposed skin of my stomach, warm breath ghosting on the nape of my neck. The bedroom lights were still off, so I didn’t know how early it was. I smiled as I shifted backwards, the warmth radiating from Bobby’s body enveloping me as I pressed my back against his chest, letting him know I was awake.

“Morning, lass,” he whispered into my ear.

“Good morning, B.”

He began trailing soft kisses behind my ear, along my jaw, wherever he could reach. I placed my hand over his and moved it upwards, slipping below the hem of my pyjama top and over one of my breasts. His breath hitched as he cupped it in his palm, gently squeezing it and brushing his thumb across the smooth skin. He buried his face in my hair, inhaling deeply as he pulled me even closer against him.

The lights turned on, and he sighed, moving his hand from under my shirt and grabbing the duvet, pulling it over our heads. Around the room, the other islanders groaned and shuffled in their beds as they woke up.

“Cockblocked by the lights,” Bobby grumbled quietly.

I laughed softly, but turned serious as I rolled over to face him. Immediately he brought his lips to mine, but I pulled back and placed a finger over his mouth as he frowned.

“About that,” I whispered. “The thing is… with Lucas here…”

He raised his eyebrows as understanding dawned on him. “You want to spare his feelings?”

I nodded. “Is that okay? Like, I’m with you, and I’m happy to be with you, but it’s just kind of weird that he’s sleeping in the same room as us, y’know?”

His eyebrows knit together as he considered the situation, and he finally nodded. “Yeah,” he exhaled, “if it was the other way around…”

I finally pressed my lips to his, chasing away the thought.

“We’ll just have to build another blanket fort,” he said with a wink as we pulled apart.

“Or,” I teased my finger down his chest and abdomen, “maybe we can sneak into the hideaway.”

He grinned and slid his hand down my back, cupping my ass and bringing me closer to him again as he captured my mouth with his once more. I hooked my leg over his thigh as we kissed, his tongue brushing mine as I moaned softly into his mouth.

I reluctantly broke the kiss and rolled away, pushing the duvet back and blinking against the bright lights as I sat up, wiping the sleep from my eyes. The others were milling about, some heading upstairs, others going outside, some quietly chatting in their beds. My eyes were drawn towards Lucas as he crossed the room towards his cupboard, his eyes studiously avoiding mine as he walked past.

I swallowed hard, guilt creeping in on me.

_He didn’t hear us, did he? No, he couldn’t have…_

Bobby sat up and wrapped his arms around me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder.

“Hey,” he said, “what do you want for breakfast?”

I smiled as I turned my head towards him. “Whatever you like. I think I’m gonna get a quick workout in first.”

“Protein it is, then.”

“Mm, bacon.” I gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “You treat me so well.”

“Glad you recognize it.”

I giggled as I rolled off the bed, winking at him as I went around the side of the bed and headed towards the dressing room.

*********

After my workout and a quick shower, I headed outside to the kitchen, where most of the other islanders had already congregated for breakfast. Bobby was just putting a couple plates of breakfast sausages, eggs, and croissants together for us when I came up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist.

“Good workout?” he asked.

“Mm. S’okay.”

“Come, let’s eat.”

We carried our plates to the lounge area next to the kitchen and joined the others around a table. There weren’t any open seats side-by-side, so we sat across from each other.

“This is really nice,” Arjun said between bites of breakfast. “All of us, together, in our final couples.”

“Now all we’ve got to do is get through the next couple of days,” Priya nodded. “I can’t believe we’re so close to the end already.”

Gary grinned as he put an arm around Chelsea. “If you’re coupled up with the right person, that bit’s easy.”

“It’s up to the public now, though,” Marisol said. “You can be with the right person and still get dumped. It’s all about the game now.”

Lottie frowned. “You’re right. It doesn’t matter who you’re with if the public has taken a dislike to you.”

_I wonder what they think of me. I’ve certainly made my fair share of mistakes in here…_

“That’s so unfair!” Chelsea groaned. “People that don’t know me always think I’m well annoying.”

“Don’t worry, love,” Gary pulled her closer to him and kissed her forehead. “I’m sure the public love you.”

“As long as we all just enjoy the rest of our time together, I don’t think we should worry too much about anything else,” Bobby said. “Not to be too cheesy, but you lot are like my family now.”

I smiled as Gary put his other arm around Bobby and the two of them grappled like brothers.

“We really are like a family now,” Priya said, looking around the table at each of us. “We’ve been living together for weeks now. We don’t always get along, but we still find a way to not kill each other.”

Lottie snorted. “That’s a pretty low bar, don’t you think?”

Priya grinned. “It’s true though, isn’t it?”

I took another bite of sausage as I chewed thoughtfully. As an only child I didn’t have the same family dynamics as some people did, but I had spent enough time with extended family to have gotten a glimpse of it. It was something I had always craved, so I liked the idea of this group becoming my family – it was true, I wouldn’t always get along with each of them, but the shared Love Island experience counted for something.

My eyes shifted to Bobby, and I caught him staring at me.

“What?” I asked after swallowing.

“Nothing,” he said, looking around before shrugging. “Just the way you chew your food. Like a baby dinosaur or something.”

I raised an eyebrow.

_Where did that come from? A dinosaur?_

“What the fuck?”

“Um—"

“We’ve eaten together how many times and suddenly you have a problem with how I chew?”

“No, I—” he frowned, a tinge of pink showing on his cheeks. “I was just making an observation.”

“That I chew like a dinosaur, apparently.”

He lowered his eyes, looking flustered. “No need to get upset about it, lass.”

_Am I overreacting? Is this what we’re in for now that we’re together?_

Beside me, Arjun coughed. “You’re not that bad, Josie. It’s cute.”

I crossed my arms as I turned to him. “Oh, so you agree with him?”

“Um, well… actually, I’ve never really noticed?”

“Look, lass, I’m sorry,” Bobby said with a sigh. “It was a joke. You looked cute, like…”

“Like a baby dinosaur? What does that even mean? How does a baby dinosaur chew?”

“Well—”

“And what kind of dinosaur, ‘cause I feel like that would make a difference. A t-rex? A brontosaurus? A pterodactyl?”

“You know what, I don’t even know,” he shrugged. “I just said the first thing that came to mind. I was kind of caught off guard.”

I sighed as I stared down at my plate, pushing food around with my fork. “Fine. I might have overreacted.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, lass.”

“I’m just gonna keep eating my food… chewing like a dragon.”

“Dinosaur.”

“Whatever.”

I picked up my fork and stabbed it into a piece of sausage, bringing it to my mouth and making a point of chewing extra loud as I stared back at Bobby. He rolled his eyes, but the corners of his lips turned up into a small smile.

We finished eating and picked up our dishes, bringing them to the kitchen where Priya offered to wash them for us.

“Thanks, Pri!”

Bobby slung his arm over my shoulder as we headed into the villa and to the upstairs bathroom. Someone was in the shower, and there were others hanging about getting ready for the day, so we just stood at the sinks brushing our teeth in silence.

After spitting out the toothpaste and rinsing our mouths, Bobby took my hand.

“Can we talk?” he whispered. “In private somewhere?”

“Yeah, sure.”

I poked my head into the girls’ dressing room to make sure nobody was in there changing, then led him through the room towards the roof terrace and closed the door behind us.

He sat down on one of the benches, draping his arm across the wall, and patted the space next to him. I sat in the indicated spot and folded my leg underneath me as I faced him.

“I’m sorry again about the baby dragon thing,” he said.

“Dinosaur,” I corrected.

He laughed. “Yeah, whatever. Anyway, I just wanted to say again that I was caught off guard. I was thinking about something else and didn’t want to say it in front of everyone, so I said the first thing I could think of.”

“So what were you thinking about, then?”

He smiled. “You, of course.”

I cocked an eyebrow and smirked. “Oh? What part of me were you thinking about?”

His cheeks flushed as he laughed and shook his head. “Not like that – I mean, kind of, but – just, like… I was thinking about how lucky I am that you chose me, and how happy that makes me.”

Warmth spread through me as butterflies filled my stomach, and I shifted closer to him so I could press a kiss to his lips.

“So I don’t actually chew like a baby dinosaur, then?”

“Well…” He scrunched his face and held his finger and thumb a millimetre apart. “Maybe just a little.”

I rolled my eyes but smiled anyway and leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder.

“So you were thinking of me, huh?” I asked.

“I’m always thinking of you.”

He cupped my cheek with his hand and tilted my chin up to face him, his eyes dropping briefly to my lips before flickering back up to my eyes. I swallowed as he leaned towards me, and he smiled before closing the distance, pressing his mouth fervently against mine as his hand travelled along my jaw and curled around my neck, fingers tangling into my hair.

I swung a leg over his thighs and straddled him on the bench, pressing my palms flat against his chest and slowly, teasingly trailing them downwards. His breath hitched and his arms swiftly snaked around my waist to pull me close. He deepened the kiss with a desperate need that I matched, our lips and teeth and tongues moving together as we clung to each other.

I rolled my hips against his crotch, my body tingling with pleasure and excitement as I felt his body react. He broke the kiss and gazed up at me, his eyes dark with lust as he panted in short breaths. I bit my lower lip seductively and with a low growl he tightened his grasp around me, pulling me close against his chest as he stood up. I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist and my arms around his shoulders, clutching onto him as he carried me across the terrace and pressed my back up against the wall. I tilted my head back and his lips found my throat, licking and sucking at my skin as he ground his hips against me. I whimpered softly as I held on, my whole body aching with pleasure.

“I’VE GOT A TEXT!”

I whined as the shout came from the lawn, the sound mixing with Bobby’s groan as he buried his face into the crook of my neck, halting his movements and trying to catch his breath. I lowered my legs to the floor, holding Bobby close and caressing his back.

“Fucking texts,” he mumbled.

I threaded my fingers through his locs and pulled his head back, and kissed him.

“Let’s find out what this is about.”

“I need a minute.”

I laughed and grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the benches so we could look over the edge of the terrace onto the lawn below.

We tried to listen as Gary read off the text, catching the words “relationships” and “challenge.”

I sighed. “Guess we’ve got to get ready for another challenge to test our relationship.”

I started heading for the door, but Bobby pulled me back, my back against his chest as his arms snaked around my waist.

“I like the sound of that – our relationship.”

My heart leapt into my throat, the idea both scaring and exciting me. I was too flustered to know how to respond, so I just turned and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“C’mon, let’s see what this challenge is all about.”

*********

We stood in our couples in a wide circle around the lawn, each couple holding a chalkboard, for a challenge called “Couple Goals.” Gary and Chelsea, as hosts, would read out a number of superlative categories, and we would have to write down which couple we thought best fit the description. All the couples would reveal their answers, and points would be added up for each round. Whichever team finished with the lowest number of points would be declared the winners.

“First question,” Gary said as he struggled with the envelope. “When I can get the damned thing open, that is.”

Chelsea rolled her eyes and pulled it out of his hands, then deftly unclasped the envelope and opened it up before handing it back to him.

“Thanks, munchkin. Okay, the first question is, which couple is the laziest?”

Bobby and I turned to each other to discuss, holding the chalkboard up in front of our mouths.

“Chelsea would do nothing but lie in the sun all day if she could,” I said.

Bobby nodded. “And Gary won’t lift a finger in the kitchen.”

“To be fair, he can’t cook for the life of him.”

“Yeah, but have you ever seen him do the washing up?”

“True.”

We wrote ‘Chelsea and Gary’ on our board, and when it was time for the couples to reveal their answers, most of them said the same.

Gary and Chelsea had written ‘Priya and Arjun.’

“Because they only get out of bed when there’s a beetle in there,” Gary grinned.

“Hey! That’s not true!” Arjun protested.

“Not entirely,” Priya smirked.

“Well, you _do_ spend a lot of time in bed, that’s all I’m saying.”

“Alright, next question!” Chelsea exclaimed. “Which couple is the most vain?”

Without even discussing it with Bobby, I immediately started writing on our board. Bobby snickered as he read it over my shoulder. He stood close, just behind me, his hand resting on the small of my back. It felt nice to finally be competing in a challenge together like this.

“Bobby and Josie, let’s see your answer.”

I grinned as I flipped over the board, winking at Priya.

“Priya and Arjun, because while Priya does take time to look good, Arjun takes about a hundred selfies every night.”

“Yeah,” Bobby agreed, “and he takes two hours to comb his beard and mustache every night.”

Arjun grinned. “Hey, it’s got to be done! And when you look as hot as us, why not document it?”

Priya laughed. “I’m just glad that for once in my life, I’m not the one that’s more high maintenance!”

“Okay, Priya, who you got?” Gary asked.

Priya turned over their board, which read ‘Elisa and Marisol.’

“Mostly because Elisa is a social media influencer, so she always looks on point.”

Elisa smiled as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Gotta look good for the ‘gram!”

One by one, the other couples flipped their boards over.

“Arjun and Priya, because Arjun is constantly looking in the mirror when getting ready.”

“Priya and Arjun, because he uses half a bottle of suncream every day.”

Arjun looked down at his chest and rubbed a hand over it. “Still glistening.”

“Priya and Arjun, because he spends more time blow-drying his hair than I do.”

“Next question, which couple is the most fake?”

_Oooh, nasty!_

“What does that even mean?” Chelsea asked.

“Whatever you want it to mean,” Priya replied.

We briefly discussed it and agreed to vote for Shannon and Lucas, since they weren’t in a romantic couple.

When the answers were revealed, most of the other couples agreed, except for two.

Marisol and Elisa had written ‘Josie and Bobby,’ and I raised my eyebrows.

_No love lost there…_

“I’m just not convinced that Josie is genuine,” Marisol said to defend their answer. “She had multiple opportunities to couple up with him earlier on.”

“Which is why we think she’s just playing the game,” Elisa added.

“What the fuck?” I crossed my arms, glaring at them. “If I was faking it, wouldn’t I just pick Lucas?”

“Just leave it, Josie,” Bobby murmured, placing a hand on my shoulder. “You and I know they’re wrong, that’s all that matters.”

“You might’ve picked Lucas,” Elisa placed her hands on her hips, “if you didn’t think you had a better chance of winning with Bobby.”

“That’s bullshit.”

She shrugged. “Just the way I see it. And I’m sure I’m not the only one. It was pretty convenient that you only decided you wanted him when Jo and I showed up.”

“That’s not—”

“Ahem,” Gary cleared his throat loudly. “Can we move things along? Shannon and Lucas, who did you put?”

I shook my head in exasperation.

_Unbelievable!_

Bobby wrapped his arms around my waist and pressed light kisses behind my ear. “It’s not worth it, lass.”

Shannon had flipped over her board, on which she had written ‘Rahim and Hannah’ in angry letters, and was busy explaining how fake Rahim had been with her while he still had feelings for someone else.

“Um, okay,” Chelsea said when they were finished. “Next question! Which couple is the most argumentative?”

“With each other or with others?”

“I’m assuming it’s with each other.”

_Oh boy. If people think it’s with others…_

I looked up at Bobby. “What do you think?”

He shrugged as he looked around at the other couples. “Lottie and Henrik, I’d say.”

I looked over at them. Henrik was usually pretty chill, but Lottie was definitely the argumentative type, and they’d had a few minor tiffs in the past few days. I nodded and wrote down the answer.

“Okay, let’s start with Lucas and Shannon,” Gary said.

Shannon flipped over their board, revealing ‘Lottie and Henrik.’

“Me?” Henrik pointed at his chest.

Lucas shook his head. “Sorry, mate. It’s just because Lottie is, um, strong-willed.”

“Oh, okay!” Henrik grinned.

Lottie rolled her eyes. “It’s because I’m a Scorpio, isn’t it?”

Most of the rest of us had also voted for them as well.

Lottie turned over their board and looked at me.

“Sorry, babe,” she said. “Just because you’ve had run-ins with half the villa at one point or another.”

“That’s okay,” I shrugged. “I can’t deny that.”

_At least it wasn’t Marisol and Elisa that voted for me._

There were a few more questions – the biggest attention seekers (Bobby and I got a few votes, though it was mostly Gary and Chelsea), couple you’d least like to double-date with (Marisol and Elisa voted for us), and most grumpy.

“Okay, last question,” Gary said. “It’s a spicy one.”

_Uh oh._

“Which couple is the most likely to cheat?”

_Oh, damn._

“Wow, that’s savage.”

“How do you pick something like that? That’s awful!”

I looked up at Bobby. He was chewing his bottom lip, looking sadly around the circle.

“What do you think?” I asked.

He shook his head and shrugged. “I don’t want to throw anyone under the bus like that.”

“We could go with one of the new couples, just on that basis alone. It doesn’t mean we actually think any of them would cheat on their partners.”

He gave a resigned sigh and nodded. “Lucas and Shannon? They’re not even together.”

I frowned, stealing a glance at Lucas. He was watching as Shannon wrote on their chalkboard.

“What about Rahim and Hannah? I mean, look what he did to Shannon.”

“Rahim’s my friend, though.”

“Yeah, but she was his girlfriend. That didn’t seem to mean much to him.”

“Fine.”

I wrote our answer on the board and waited for our turn to reveal it.

“Okay, let’s start with Henrik and Lottie.”

Lottie turned over their board. “Sorry, but we said Hannah and Rahim, because of the Shannon situation.”

Lucas flipped over their board, revealing the same.

“Because tigers don’t change their stripes,” Shannon said, her arms folded across her chest. “And clearly the word ‘girlfriend’ doesn’t mean much to him.”

“Oh, come on Shan, it wasn’t that bad,” Rahim said, raising his palms in frustration. “I was just talking to her, you didn’t need to fly off the handle.”

She held her hand up in front of her face. “Not going over this with you again, if you don’t get it you’re a lost cause.”

He rolled his eyes but said nothing, as Hannah put her arm around him.

“Okay, moving on… Elisa and Marisol?”

“Josie and Bobby,” Elisa said, “because Josie’s head has been on a swivel the entire time she’s been in here—”

“That’s not true,” I objected.

_Only half the time._

“—and she even acted on it when she kissed Lucas. Plus, they live far away from each other.”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Bobby replied, moving his hand to the small of my back as he stepped forward. “People have long distance relationships all the time without cheating.”

“Calm down, it’s just a challenge,” she rolled her eyes. “We had to pick somebody.”

“You could have picked anyone, but you had to pick on Josie, again.”

“Bobby,” I said softly, wrapping my arm around his waist, “it’s not a big deal.”

I pressed a kiss to his shoulder and looked up at him, silently pleading for him to let it go. Finally he sighed and nodded.

“Moving on! Rahim and Hannah, who’ve you got?”

“Henrik and Lottie,” Hannah said as she held up their board, “just because of what happened in Casa Amor. With Henrik switching to Blake instead of sticking with Josie.”

The rest of the couples all voted for Rahim and Hannah.

“And that brings the challenge to an end!” Chelsea beamed. “The winners of the challenge for the fewest votes are Elisa and Marisol!”

_Ugh._

Marisol’s phone chimed with an incoming text. “We won a date in the hideaway! Amazing!”

_Double ugh._

“Perfect!” Elisa grinned. “That’s so needed.”

“Too bad,” Bobby whispered in my ear, “I would’ve liked a date in the hideaway.”

I smiled up at him. “Me, too.”

He took my hand, weaving our fingers together. “What do you say we go back up to the roof terrace?”

“I’d like—”

“Hey, Josie?”

I turned around to see Lucas standing behind me, looking sheepish.

“Hi Lucas, what’s up?”

“I was wondering if we could have a chat…”

I raised my eyebrows and looked back at Bobby. He shrugged, dropping my hand.

“Go ahead, lass. You haven’t had a chance to talk about last night yet, anyway.”

“Thanks, B.” I lifted myself onto my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “I’ll find you soon.”

He smiled and walked away, leaving me standing alone with Lucas.

I turned to him with a friendly smile. “Where to?”

“I was thinking the roof terrace?”

I swallowed as I nodded, my stomach twisting in a knot as I followed him upstairs.

_This should be interesting…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos/Comments are huuugely appreciated!! ❤


	38. Toasties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lateness in getting this up! I hope everyone's having a wonderful holiday if you're celebrating anything. ❤

“Look,” Lucas said as we sat down on the roof terrace, “about last night…”

“I’m sorry, Lucas, I—”

He held his hand up to stop me. “It’s okay, I understand. You and Bobby started something, and I was just a little too late. I respect that you’re with him, and appreciate that you gave me a chance to begin with.”

I smiled as I sighed with relief. “I couldn’t ignore what we had before… you deserved as much.”

“The thing is, now I’m not sure what I’m doing here. Shannon and I will never be more than a friendship couple, and you’re the only one in here I’m interested in.”

I frowned. “What are you getting at?”

He leaned back against the balcony wall, casually stretching his arm across the back of the bench, but his intense gaze burned into me, belying his seriousness.

“I’m thinking of leaving the villa.”

“What?” My jaw dropped. “But you just got back!”

He shrugged. “What’s the point? I’m sure I’ll just get dumped soon anyway. May as well leave on my own terms.”

“Please, Lucas, don’t go. If you left now, then Shannon would probably have to leave, too, and that’s not fair on her.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Is Shannon the only one you’re concerned about?”

“No, of course not, just—you’re not the only one affected if you leave.”

“Do _you_ want me to stay?”

I sucked in a sharp breath. That was the question, wasn’t it? It would be easier to focus on Bobby if Lucas were gone. I had picked him, and I knew I wanted to pursue things with him, yet no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t stamp out the “what ifs?” that went through my head every time I looked at Lucas.

“I think you should stay,” I said finally. “It’s a free vacation, after all.”

He smirked. “That’s a cop-out answer, and you know it.”

“What exactly do you want from me, Lucas? We’ve just had the last recoupling. It’s too late.”

“And what about after the villa?”

“What about it?”

“Bobby’s not your boyfriend. Are you still open to getting to know me better, or is that it?”

I swallowed hard. “That’s… that’s hardly fair, Lucas. I like Bobby, I really do. I haven’t thought that far ahead, but I do want to see how things go with him. I can’t keep leaving things open-ended and confusing myself. It’s not fair to me, and it’s hardly fair to either of you.”

Lucas let out a small sigh as he looked out over the balcony, into the distance. He pursed his lips before answering. “Maybe it’s best that I leave, then.”

I sighed as I looked down at my hands, feeling the familiar burn of tears threatening to well up in my eyes. “Please don’t,” I said in a quiet voice, before looking up at him. “I want you to stay. I can’t promise I’ll ever be able to give you more than friendship, but I hope that will be enough.”

His jaw clenched as he stared back at me, his eyes dark and intense as he considered my request. Finally his expression softened and he rose to his feet. A few steps and he was at the door, turning the handle as he looked back at me. “I’ll think about it.”

And then he was gone, back inside the villa, leaving me sitting the on the bench, head in my hands, wondering why I couldn’t quite let him go.

*********

I went back downstairs to look for Bobby and wasn’t surprised to find him in the kitchen. Instead of going up to him immediately I hung back, leaning against the villa wall as I took the opportunity to simply watch and admire him. He was just filling up the kettle with water, but he had a way about him that made such simple, mundane tasks look enjoyable – a happy look on his face, a dance in his steps, a zest for life that made me always want to be around him.

He picked up his phone and leaned over, his bum sticking out as he rested his elbows on the counter. He really did have the best bum in the villa, and the view from where I stood was pretty good. I smirked a little, checking him out and feeling a tingle of excitement knowing that cute bum was all mine.

The screen of his phone flickered to life as he unlocked it, and I watched as he swiped through his photos until he paused on one we had taken at the firepit the night before.

“Miss me already?” I finally made my presence known, smirking as I pushed myself away from the wall and sauntered towards him.

He turned to face me with a smile, setting the phone back down on the counter. “Maaybe.”

I wrapped my arms around his waist and tilted my face up towards him, and he leaned down to kiss me, his lips lingering on mine as his hands travelled down my sides.

The kettle beeped and he turned away to pour the hot water into his mug.

“Do you want tea or anything?” Bobby asked. “Hungry?”

“Now that you mention it, I could use a snack.”

“Anything in particular?”

“Let’s make a toastie together,” I suggested.

His face lit up. “That’s a great idea, babe!”

He skipped over to the refrigerator and excitedly started pulling ingredients out.

“What do you want on it?” he asked.

I smiled at his enthusiasm. “Let’s just go with the standard ham and cheese, I think.”

“A classic.”

He handed me the cheese and I grated it while he heated up the grill and began buttering the bread.

“So how did your chat with Lucas go?” he asked casually.

I shrugged. “It was fine. I told him I want to be friends, and he respects that I chose you.”

I didn’t mention that Lucas had brought up the idea of leaving, not knowing if it was something Lucas would want shared or not.

“Cool,” Bobby nodded nonchalantly, but I could tell from the smile tugging at his lips that he was pleased.

I pinched some of the shredded cheese between my thumb and index finger and held it up to him. “Open wide!”

He laughed and opened his mouth, taking my finger between his lips along with the cheese, sucking it into his mouth as he closed his eyes and hummed appreciatively. My skin flushed with heat as he licked around the finger before releasing it with a smile.

“Yum,” he winked.

He took the cheese and sprinkled it onto the bread, added sliced ham, and placed the top slice on before sliding it under the grill, then turning to me with a grin.

“I like this. You and me, in the kitchen, cooking.”

“I like the ‘you cooking’ part,” I winked, lifting myself up onto the counter.

Bobby grinned as he stepped over to me, nudging my knees apart so he could stand between them. “Great, because I like the ‘you being here’ part. The cooking is an added bonus.”

He placed his hands on my hips and tugged me closer to the counter’s edge, and I wrapped my arms around his neck as our lips met – softly at first, then with more urgency as he caught my lower lip between his teeth, dragging it back slightly. A low hum sounded deep in his throat as I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling myself against him as the kiss deepened, our tongues moving hungrily against each other.

Without warning Bobby drew back from the kiss, swearing as he looked towards the grill. The smell of burnt toast filled my nostrils and I released him reluctantly, sighing as he stepped away to inspect the toastie.

“Still hungry?” he asked.

“Oh, I dunno, I just had a snack,” I grinned, causing him to shake his head and laugh.

“It’s not _too_ bad,” he said as he slid it onto a plate. “Still edible, at least.”

“That’s okay, I’m not too picky.”

“And that’s one of the things I love about you.” His eyes widened as he realized what he had just said. “I mean, not that—I don’t—um—”

I laughed, breaking him off as I placed two fingers against his lips. “Relax, B. I know what you meant.”

He chuckled nervously as he turned his attention back towards the toastie, grabbing a knife and cutting it in two. He picked up the plate and grabbed my hand, leading me towards the lounge just off the kitchen.

“Cooking with you is fun,” he said as we sat down.

I smirked. “If by cooking, you mean making out, then yeah, I agree.”

He grinned, then took a bite of his half, grimacing slightly at the burnt taste. He looked thoughtful as he chewed.

“Y’know, I could live with burnt food every once in a while.”

“Just every once in a while?”

“Okay, maybe more than that. Often.”

I leaned my head against his shoulder, and he responded by wrapping his arm around me, pulling me closer against his side.

“I like the sound of that,” I said quietly. We both stood there enjoying the brief moment of absolute peace, a moment where it felt like it was only the two of us left in that villa. A burst of calmness rushed through me as I breathed in his scent and I smiled, feeling so genuinely happy for the first time in a while.

*********

The group was in the kitchen when Marisol and Elisa returned from their Hideaway date, the evening just getting started with a glass of wine and a toast.

We all hung around the kitchen for a bit as they told us how their date went and the conversation spiraled into a discussion about deep chats and first date moves.

_DING!_

“Oh, hey, I’ve got a text!” Shannon said. She swiped the phone screen and groaned. “’Islanders, please make your way to the firepit immediately.’”

“Oh, no…”

A sense of dread came over the group. This late in the game, we all knew it could only mean one thing – a dumping.

My hand found Bobby’s, and he squeezed it reassuringly as our fingers interlocked. We walked with the others towards the firepit, our legs shaky, our stomachs clenched tight. We took our seats, never letting go of each other’s hands as we waited for the next text.

My phone beeped.

I cleared my throat as I picked it up from where I’d placed it on the bench beside me, the screen powering to life. “’The public have been voting for their favourite couple. The couple with the fewest votes will be dumped from the island tonight. #hometime #goinggoinggone’”

I set the phone back down and shifted closer to Bobby, gripping his hand tightly on my lap.

Another phone went off, and Arjun stood up.

“’In no particular order, the couples that are safe are…’”

“’Chelsea and Gary.’”

“’Elisa and Marisol.’”

“’Priya and Arjun.’”

I held my breath, my heart pounding faster and faster with each name that was called.

“’Josie and Bobby.’”

I let out a sigh of relief, while Bobby pressed a kiss to the side of my head.

There was a long pause before the next text rang out, and Chelsea picked up her phone.

“’Lottie and Henrik, Shannon and Lucas, and Hannah and Rahim – as you have received the fewest votes, you are now vulnerable. Please stand in front of the firepit.’”

_Oh god, don’t make us choose again._

The three couples stood and shuffled over to stand in a line in front of us. The two romantic couples held hands, while Shannon and Lucas held their arms stiffly at their sides. Lucas’s eyes shifted to mine as I gazed back at him with a tinge of sadness, and he nodded slightly. I knew he was ready to leave, so he wouldn’t be disappointed if it was them. I just wasn’t sure if I was ready to see him leave again.

“This is so tense!” Chelsea frowned.

For a few long moments, the only sound breaking the silence was the crickets in the bushes as we waited with bated breath for the next message to come through.

_DING!_

I almost jumped at the sound coming from beside me. Bobby pulled out his phone, his hand shaking ever so slightly.

“’The couple with the fewest votes, and therefore dumped from the island is…’”

He paused, waiting for the second text to come in with the names of the dumped couple. The text bubble popped up on the screen, and he sucked in his breath.

“’Hannah and Rahim.’”

I blinked in surprise.

_Not Lucas and Shannon? Who aren’t even a romantic couple?_

I wrapped my arms around Bobby. “I’m sorry, B.”

He hugged me back, briefly nestling his face in my hair, then pulled me to my feet and led me over to the front of the firepit. He pulled Rahim into a long embrace.

“I’m gonna miss you, man,” he said, his voice muffled against Rahim’s chest.

“I’ll see you on the outside,” Rahim responded.

“I can’t believe this is happening again,” Hannah was saying as I walked over to her.

I briefly hugged her before going back over to Rahim to hug him.

Eventually the group dispersed as Lottie and Elisa went to help Hannah pack. Bobby went to help Rahim, so I walked over to the firepit where Lucas was sitting, staring into the flames.

His eyes briefly flickered to me before returning to the fire as I sat down next to him.

“So,” I smiled softly, “I guess the public want you to stay.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “It would appear so, or at the very least we have more fans than Rahim and Hannah did.”

“Have you decided what you’re going to do?”

He looked up at me, meeting my gaze. The corners of his lips turned up in a small smile. “I guess I’ll stay. I’m sure there will be another dumping soon, and we’ll be goners then. It’s only a matter of time.”

“You may as well enjoy the Spanish sun while you still can, right?”

“I may as well enjoy your company,” he winked, “while I still can.”

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t help the smile that spread across my lips. “Good. I’m glad you still want to be friends.”

“Oh, I still want more than that,” he smirked, “but I’ll take what I can get.”

“Are you trying to charm me?”

“Is it working?”

I bit my lip as I held up my handing, holding my finger and thumb just apart from each other. “Just a wee bit.”

“Damn, guess I’ll have to work harder. Thought for sure you’d be falling into my arms by now.”

I laughed, holding out my hand for him to grab as I stood up. “It would take a lot more than that, and you’ve got _very_ stiff competition. Now come on, we should go say our final goodbyes.”

He gladly complied and we headed back into the villa just as Rahim was carrying his and Hannah’s suitcases down the stairs, and followed the rest of the group outside.

“It’s funny,” Rahim said, “I didn’t think I’d be going home when I woke up this morning.”

“You were such a solid bloke to have around, big guy,” Gary said as they clasped hands and pulled each other into a hug. “There’s no replacing you. You’re one of the originals.”

“When you’re out, we’ll grab a beer together.”

“Make it a Violet Man and I’m there.”

Bobby clapped his hand on Gary’s shoulder. “You sure about that, man? You’re ready for another Violet Man?”

Gary’s face paled as his lips puckered up. “Erm, well, maybe we’ll leave it at beers, then.”

Hannah sniffed. “This is the second time I’ve been dumped. But at least I’m leaving with someone this time… although it does make me regret that we didn’t get together sooner.”

Rahim draped his arm over her shoulders. “Sometimes we need to make some mistakes before we figure out what we’re really looking for.”

She smiled up at him as he lowered his head to kiss her.

_Gag me with a spoon._

I turned away from them and made eye contact with Bobby. I smiled and found myself instinctively moving over to his side, my arm curling around his waist and my head resting on his shoulder.

“You okay?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he sighed. “It just really makes how close to the end we are that much more real.”

“True. Any of us could go, at any time.”

“It’s tough. We’re at the point now where whoever leaves is someone we’ve spend so much time with and gotten to know so well.”

“And yet it’s only a few days until we’ll see everyone again.”

“It’s gonna be weird, though. Not seeing everyone everyday.”

“Fuck, it’s gonna be amazing,” I smiled. “Privacy, not sharing a room and bathroom with so many other people.”

“Now that you mention it,” he grinned at me, “that does sound amazing.”

“… so thank you, and good luck,” Hannah was saying to the group as she said her final goodbyes. “You all should be so proud of yourselves, and we can’t wait to see you again when it’s all over!”

She placed her hand in Rahim’s and they each grabbed their suitcases, rolling them down the long driveway to their waiting vehicle.

“Another one bites the dust,” Arjun said as we turned to head back into the villa. “Just six couples left.”

_DING!_

“Wait, was that a text?”

“Oh no, what now?”

Lottie looked at her phone. “It’s me! I got a text.”

“What is it?”

“’Islanders, earlier the public voted for their favourite couples. But there was one more question we asked the public…’”

“Is that it?”

“Oh my god!” Chelsea’s hands flew up to her face. “I wonder what they asked!”

_DING!_

Gary’s brow was furrowed as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. His eyebrows raised as he read it silently to himself.

“Read it out loud, Garebear!”

He cleared his throat. “’The public has also been voting on which couple they would most like to send… to the Hideaway!’”

“Ooh, who is it, who is it? Is it us?”

“One sec, babe, they haven’t texted who it is. Oh wait, here it is—” he looked up at Bobby and me with a grin. “Josie and Bobby!”

“Really?” I asked. “They voted for _us_?”

“Yes, this is awesome!” Bobby grinned. “We were just saying we were looking forward to some privacy.”

Priya smirked. “Well, now you’ve got it – what are you waiting for?”

I laughed as I grabbed her hand. “Come, you need to help me pick out what to wear!”

“Ooh, yes, please!”

*********

I slowly descended the staircase in one of Priya’s tallest pairs of sexy, strappy heels. A silky black robe covered the lingerie set we had picked out, a black lacy bustier with matching thong. She had even fluffed out my curls and practically forced me to smoke out my makeup.

“We’re going to bed,” I had argued, “I should be taking my makeup _off_ , not putting more on!”

“Too bad,” she had replied as she shoved the eyeliner pencil into my hands, “you’re going to look so hot, he won’t even want to go to sleep.”

I had rolled my eyes and gone along with it, but made sure to sneak some makeup remover wipes into the bag of essentials I was bringing along with me when she wasn’t looking.

Now I was downstairs, trying to shake off the jitters as I crossed the foyer to the bedroom to find Bobby.

_Why am I nervous? It’s not even our first time together._

“Wait!” Priya called as she ran down the stairs behind me. “Let me go in first and make sure he’s ready for you!”

“Oh my god, Pri, it’s not the prom!”

“Too bad!” She scurried past me and opened the bedroom door, poking her head through for a few brief moments before throwing the door open, walking through, and then turning back to beckon me in.

I took a deep breath and followed her inside, my eyes immediately finding Bobby’s and registering his look of delighted awe as he looked me over.

“Wow,” he mouthed, and I blushed as I smiled shyly back at him, my nerves turning to butterflies in my stomach.

_And he hasn’t even seen what’s under the robe yet…_

He in turn had traded in his typical long pyjama pants for deep purple boxers that sat low on his hips.

The rest of the islanders faded into the background as I gazed into his smiling amber eyes, which hadn’t left my face since his initial perusal of my outfit.

“Are you guys just gonna stand there?” Priya’s voice broke into my thoughts. “Go, get out of here!”

Bobby grinned as he took my hand, a jolt of electricity surging through me at the contact. “Don’t have to tell me twice.”

He led me out of the bedroom, across the foyer, and down the seldom-used hallway to the private room, stopping just outside the door, his hand on the handle, and turning to me.

“Ready?” he asked breathily, his eyes dancing with anticipation.

I smiled happily up at him. “Ready.”

He pushed open the door and we stepped inside the gold-and-white panelled room which was dominated by a large fur-covered king bed which sat low to the floor.

“Ooh, this is fancy,” I said as I began looking around, but was soon distracted by Bobby’s hands sliding around my waist and his lips pressing against the curve of my neck. I laughed as I spun around and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Someone’s eager.”

“I’ve been,” Bobby kissed me on the lips, “waiting,” the jaw, “all day,” just behind my ear, “for this,” and again on my lips as he held me closer against him.

I smiled as I pressed my hands flat against his chest and pushed him away. “There’s plenty of time for that,” I winked. “Don’t you want to check out the jacuzzi and drink champagne?”

He looked at me thoughtfully for a moment before a mischievous glint appeared in his eye, and with a smirk he picked me up around the hips and carried me over to the bed, ignoring my squeals. He threw me down onto my back, quickly moving to straddle me as his knees pressed into the soft fur cover on either side of my body, and grabbed my wrists, holding them above my head and pinning me down beneath him.

“Champagne can wait,” he growled, before kissing me hard, hot, and rough, his tongue darting between my lips as I gasped into his mouth.

Excitement coursed through me, filling me with need as my back arched, pressing our bodies together. I struggled against his grip on my arms, wanting to run my fingers through his dreads and over his bare shoulders, but he held firm, smiling against my lips, pleased with himself.

He rolled his hips against me and I whimpered softly, bringing my hips up to meet him, needing more of his touch, more contact between our bodies. He moved on me again, and it sent little ripples of excitement through me.

He broke the kiss and started trailing warm, open-mouthed kisses down my throat and along my collarbone, occasionally biting down gently and soothing over the spot with his tongue, making my pulse soar as he drew patterns across my flushed skin.

He pressed kisses to every bit of exposed skin as he travelled downwards towards my breasts, nudging the silk robe aside with his nose to reveal more and more of my sun-kissed skin, until he finally took the fabric between his teeth and pulled it away, revealing the lacy lingerie beneath.

He sucked in a breath, his eyes turning dark as they raked over me, before coming back up to meet mine as a smile played on his lips.

“This is nice,” he said, then dropped his voice to a low raspy whisper, “but I can’t wait to take it off you.”

“Bobby,” I panted, the rest of my words dying on my tongue and turning into a low moan as he lowered to my breasts and sucked one of my nipples into his mouth through the lace.

He nipped at it gently with his teeth, and as I bucked upwards into his mouth he moved one of his hands to hold both of my wrists, freeing the other to grasp my other breast and squeeze it between his fingers. He kneaded the soft flesh, rolling the hardened bud between his fingers, evoking hasty little breaths out of my parted lips with his every touch. He massaged the other with his tongue and grazed it with his teeth, each movement going straight to my core, making my body shiver and tremble impatiently.

I was a writhing mess, powerless beneath him as he held me down, unable to do anything but arch my body against him and beg for more. I couldn’t hear anything but my own ragged breathing, my panties were already soaking wet, and with every rock of his hips I could feel how hard he was for me, both our bodies desperate for what the other could give.

He finally released my wrists and sat up on his haunches, sliding backwards and nudging my knees apart so he could move between them. I obliged immediately, and he hooked my legs over his shoulders, lowering his head down and gripping my thighs with his hands. His tongue flicked out and licked a stripe up my heat, making my hips buck up involuntarily.

“Mm,” he hummed, a soft chuckle escaping his mouth, “so wet and eager.”

I propped myself up on my elbows and watched as he slid the fabric aside and his tongue grazed me again. I threw my head back with a loud moan, feeling his smile against me as he began teasing me with short strokes of the tongue, paying attention to everywhere but where I needed him the most.

“Bobby,” I breathed hoarsely, “please.”

He looked up, a gleam in his eyes as he met my gaze, his tongue circling around my sensitive bundle of nerves. I bucked my hips into him again, desperate for the relief that was being kept from me, fire building up within my belly with every flick of the tongue. His fingers dug into my thighs, keeping me in place as he continued to tease me, until finally he moved to my clit, pulling it into his mouth and sucking it gently as I cried out, my head lolling back as my legs wrapped around his head and my hips jerked upwards.

One of his hands left my thighs and he pressed two fingers within my folds, sliding them in and out of me in short thrusts, moving rhythmically in time with his mouth, making my entire body tremble at every touch. Tension coiled tighter and tighter within me until I was right on the edge, eyes squeezed shut, gasping and panting for breath, moaning out unintelligible pleas for release as my hands moved frantically, trying to find purchase on something.

His fingers curled within me as his lips sucked harder, and I exploded, my back arching and my legs quaking as my walls clenched around him. He kept up his steady movements, drawing out my orgasm until I collapsed, sucking in deep breaths as I sought to recover, almost blinded by my climax.

I felt him lay down next to me, throwing an arm around me as he snuggled into my side, and I rolled towards him, cupping his cheek with my hand as I drew him into a long, fever-induced kiss, tasting myself on his tongue.

His hard length pressed against me and I trailed my fingers down his chest, sliding under the waistband of his boxers and wrapping my fingers around his girth as Bobby sucked in a breath, breaking the kiss.

“Bobby,” I whispered, “I need you.”

“Are you—"

“Yes,” I cut him off, pressing my lips hard against his as I threw my leg over his hip, showing him just how much I wanted him.

He pushed me onto my back and stood up, hooking his thumb into his waistband and pushing downwards. He stepped out of his boxers and looked around the room, finding a bowl of condoms on a side table. He rolled one on, and as he returned to the bed I lifted one of my feet, Priya’s shoe still strapped on.

“Can you take these off?”

He smirked as he grabbed my ankle and pressed his lips against it.

“Leave them on,” he winked, as he lowered himself back to the mattress.

He settled in between my thighs, positioning himself at my entrance as I wrapped my legs around his waist, the heels dragging against his skin. He snapped his hips forward, burying himself to the hilt, and I gasped as he filled me completely. He slid all the way out and then pushed into me again, and I snaked my arms around him, clutching tightly to his shoulders as he began working up a steady rhythm within me.

The room around us disappeared, leaving Bobby and me in a world or our own, filled with heavy breathing and the rich scent of our want.

“Bobby, fuck— oh shit,” I cried out as he suddenly lowered his head and bit down on my shoulder.

I responded by pressing my feet down and jerking my hips up, and he released a low growl as the heels dug into his ass.

“Fuck me,” I gasped between breaths, “please, ooh—”

His movements became erratic as he drove harder into me, my fingernails digging into his back, urging him on. I reached between us and rubbed my clit, aching with need as he moved at a torrid pace, until finally I came undone, my world crashing down around me. I whimpered as he continued slamming into me, seeking his own release, and ran my hands up and down his back. His breaths shortened, and with a grunt and a final thrust he came, his body shuddering as he collapsed against me his weight on top of me bringing strange comfort.

Our bodies were slick with sweat as they pressed against each other, the sound of our gasps and heavy breathing the only thing breaking the silence as we came down from our highs. I smoothed my fingers over his dreads and touched my lips to his forehead, breathing out sweet words as I held him close.

With a groan he rolled off me, pulling me against him as he nuzzled his nose into my hair. The seconds stretched into minutes as we lay there, our pulses slowing and our breath evening, until Bobby lifted his head and looked down at me with a grin.

“Now how about we find that champagne?”

*********

After cleaning ourselves up and changing into our swimsuits, we opened the French doors leading to the patio just outside the hideaway. A small table next to the jacuzzi held a bucket of ice with a champagne bottle, along with two long-stemmed champagne flutes.

I slipped into the warm, bubbling water of the jacuzzi as Bobby popped open the bottle and poured the golden liquid into the stemware.

“My lady,” he winked as he held a glass towards me, and I smiled up at him as I took it, our fingers brushing against each other.

“Thank you.”

He picked up his own glass and stepped into the water, draping his arm across the back of my shoulders as he sat next to me. I held up my glass and he clinked his against it.

“Cheers, lass.”

I took a sip, the tiny bubbles bursting against my tongue as the alcohol burned down my throat. I sighed as I nuzzled into Bobby’s side, hooking my foot around his ankle beneath the frothy waves.

“I’m so glad we got to do this,” Bobby said as he relaxed and leaned back against the side of the tub. “Just some private chill time with my girl is exactly what we needed after today’s challenge.”

_My girl._

My breath caught in my throat at the thought, especially with how easily it rolled off his tongue, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Earlier this morning he had mentioned our relationship, now he was calling me his girl – but what were we, exactly? Lucas was right – he wasn’t my boyfriend. We were just coupled up on a reality TV show, technically we weren’t even dating.

I decided to ignore it. I wasn’t ready for a conversation like that, not quite yet.

I cleared my throat. “Yeah, that challenge was pretty intense.”

“Just for the record, I don’t think you’re playing the game. Or that either of us would cheat, or anything like that.”

“I know,” I smiled up at him. “It’s not like I get along well with Marisol and Elisa, so I don’t blame them for voting for us.”

He let out a relieved sigh and returned my smile. “Good.”

I tipped back my champagne flute, downing the rest of the liquid.

“Do you want some more?” he asked.

I stared into the bottom of the glass, then shrugged and held it out to him. “Sure, why not.”

“I can’t believe how close we are to the end,” he said as he refilled my drink and topped up his own. “A few more days and we’re going home.”

“Or sooner.”

“True. It’s bittersweet, isn’t it?” He raised his eyes to mine as he handed me back my glass. “On one hand, the weather here is great, we’re having fun, developing friendships. It’s gonna suck to leave.”

I took a sip, nodding my head. “There are some things I won’t miss, but yeah, it’s going to be strange going back to the real world, and having responsibilities again.”

“Right.” He moved closer, sliding his arm across my shoulder as gazed intently at me. “But on the other hand, I’m excited.”

“I can’t wait to see friends and family again.”

He grinned, his face inching closer to mine as he leaned towards me. “I can’t wait to bring you home to visit my friends and family.”

I gulped, feeling my heart rate speed up as Bobby kept blabbering on.

_Oh my god, am I ready for all that?_

“It’s gonna be great! “ he continued. “I’ll take you to all my favourite places, and you can meet everyone, and they’ll all love you, and we can do all sorts of real life stuff together…”

He kept going, but I stopped paying attention, stuck on his words.

_What if they don’t love me? And what if we go back to our real lives and things don’t work out the way we want them to? And what about the distance? I can’t ask him to move…_

“Josie?”

The sound of my name interrupted my thoughts, and I looked back at Bobby to find him staring at me with his eyebrows raised.

“Sorry, what? I was just thinking.”

“I asked what you’re looking forward to most when we leave.”

“Oh, um—” _Safe thoughts, think safe thoughts_ “—you know what, I’m kind of looking forward to knowing what time it is again.”

Bobby threw back his head and laughed, completely oblivious to the inner panic that was coursing through me. “You’re hilarious, you know that?”

He took the champagne flute out of my hand and placed both on the deck, then lowered his hands into the water, grabbing me by the waist and pulling me onto his lap. I cupped his face with my hands, staring into his eyes as he grinned happily at me, and I felt all my worries slip away, as if they never existed in the first place.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

I lowered my face to his, kissing him softly and pulling back again with a small smile, trailing my fingers lightly down his jaw and throat before lifting my eyes back to his. “You’re not too bad yourself.”

His hand slid upwards along my back, teasingly scratching the skin until it reached my neck, his fingers curling into my hair and drawing my head down towards him to bring our mouths together once more. The kiss was sweet and gentle at first, slowly building in intensity as our lips moved against each other, neither of us wanting to break the spell. His arm tightened around my hips, pulling me closer as my hands drifted downwards, snaking around his waist and down his back. His tongue slid between my lips, hungrily seeking mine. I moaned softly as I pressed my body against his, feeling him harden beneath me as his body awoke.

I shifted to straddle him, and he groaned as I began rolling my hips, pushing into him, the friction sending jolts of pleasure surging through me with each thrust.

“Josie,” he whispered against my lips.

“Mmhmm?”

“Let’s go to bed.”

I grinned, biting my bottom lip as I kept moving, his hands tightening on my hips. “Yeah? You tired?”

He sucked in his breath as I pressed harder into him. “Oh, I’m not done with you yet.”

“Is that a threat?”

He stood up abruptly, holding me against his chest as I clung to him tightly, water dripping off us.

“It’s a promise,” he growled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HUGE shoutout to Kat (Redlightsdistrict) for always being willing to help with my smut and make it better. You're the best ❤
> 
> And to Suchi for always beta-ing and all the amazing suggestions, especially with this chapter! 🥰


	39. Babies, pt. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, credit to Kat (Redlightsdistrict) for the smut help. 😊

My eyes flickered open, and for a moment I forgot where I was. The room was still dark, but enough light streamed in through the curtains to make me realize I wasn’t in the main bedroom. My fingers brushed over the rich fur of the blanket covering me, and that’s when I remembered.

_The hideaway._

I glanced over at Bobby, who was sprawled out on his back, taking up most of the bed. I smiled softly, enjoying the slight rise and fall of his chest as he steadily breathed. It was rare for me to be the first one awake, and for a moment, all I wanted to do was watch and look at him. He looked younger in his sleep, and peaceful, and I briefly allowed myself to wonder what it would be like waking up next to him every day.

_It won’t last._

My heart squeezed in my chest at the uninvited thought, and I hastily pushed it aside. I was lying naked in bed with a gorgeous, equally naked man - now wasn’t the time for getting too inside my head when I could live in the moment and enjoy myself.

And yet… I couldn’t shake the thought, nor could I figure out why it bothered me so much.

I shook my head and reached my hand towards Bobby, my fingers suspended just above his skin as I traced patterns in the freckles on his chest. Even in his sleep he looked happy, and I wasn’t ready to wake him yet.

I moved closer and closed my eyes, snuggling into his side and breathing in his scent. He shifted slightly, his arm curling around me before his breath deepened again, his sleep peaceful with me by his side.

I lay there for a few minutes, basking in his warmth and enjoying the rare quiet moment of solitude, which was much needed after almost a month in the villa.

And then I wanted to share it.

With a mischievous grin, I carefully climbed on top of Bobby, trying not to wake him quite yet as I pressed my knees into the mattress on either side of him. I began pressing featherlight kisses over his collarbone, along his throat, and up along his jaw as I reached into his hair, brushing my fingers through his locs. I slowly rolled my hips and felt him twitch beneath me, and a quiet moan escaped his lips.

His eyes slowly fluttered open, and I propped myself up with my elbows on either side of his head as I smiled down at him.

He blinked, the corners of his lips turning upwards as his eyes came into focus. “Oh, hello.”

“Hi,” I said breathily.

“Well, this is a good morning.”

He brought his hands to my waist and pulled me against his hardening length, and I rolled my hips again, sending little shivers through me.

“This is a _very_ good morning.”

I lowered my mouth to his, meeting him in a languid kiss. Our tongues moved slowly against each other as we took our time, enjoying every lick, every nibble, every soft moan.

Bobby’s grip lowered to my hips and tightened as he began lifting me up and down, sliding me along the underside of his shaft. I took over the movement, rolling slowly, my whole body tingling with pleasure, and he slid his hands up towards my breasts, gently squeezing the soft flesh and flicking his thumbs over my nipples.

“Fuck,” I moaned, my eyes closing as I revelled in the sensations jolting through me.

I couldn't wait any longer, needing him inside me. I rolled away from his grasp and slapped my hand against the bedside table, searching for the foil packets I knew were there. I found one and made quick work of opening it, rolling it onto him, and straddling his thighs. I hovered just above him, wrapping my fingers around him and stroking him leisurely. His eyes were dark with desire and gazing steadily back at me, no signs left of sleep.

“Please,” he groaned, his fingers digging into my thighs.

I lowered myself onto him slowly, inch by inch, maintaining eye contact, not wanting to even blink away his image as he filled me completely, _perfectly_.

“You feel so fucking good,” he said, and I smiled sweetly at him before lifting my hips and sinking back down again, slowly, teasingly. “God, Josie, fuck me.”

I did, speeding up the pace as his hips jerked upwards to meet mine, settling into a steady rhythm. My back arched, hands sliding to his thighs as I leaned back, and I cried out as the new angle drove him even deeper with each thrust. Our bodies worked together as we fucked each other, until with a loud moan I hit my peak, lights dancing behind my eyes as he continued pumping furiously into me and followed close behind with a low growl. I collapsed against his chest and gasped for breath, quivering in his arms as we came down together.

He gently stroked my hair and back, and I lifted my head to gaze down at him with a crooked smile.

I tapped a finger on the tip of his nose. “Boop.”

His eyebrows raised. “You booped me!”

I grinned. “I did.”

“I love it.”

I rolled off him and stood up, reaching down for his hand to pull him up off the bed. “Do you think the others are up yet, or can we sneak into the shower without them noticing?”

He rolled to his feet with a grin and wrapped his arms around me from behind, kissing my neck as he pulled me against his chest. “You’re insatiable, aren’t you?”

I reached up to thread my fingers through his dreads and pulled his head towards me so I could press my lips softly against his. “Well, when you find something you like…”

He spun me around and kissed me hard, then pulled away. “Let’s go.”

We quickly dressed and gathered our things, then Bobby slowly opened the hideaway door and poked his head out.

“All clear,” he said, grabbing my hand as he stepped out.

We tiptoed down the short hallway and into the foyer. I was about to suggest making a mad dash for the stairs when Bobby stopped up short and held a hand up.

“Why’d you stop?” I whispered. “Let’s go!”

“Do you hear that?” he asked, turning to me with wide eyes.

I stopped to listen, and just then, a mechanical wailing sound came to my ears.

_Oh, fuck no._

“That’s not—it can’t be—”

_Please don’t be babies!_

“It’s babies, lass!” His whole face lit up as he grinned down at me.

“But—”

“Come on!”

He gripped my hand tightly, and I had no choice but to follow him as he dragged me towards the lounge and pushed open the door. The sound of wailing grew louder as we entered the room, and my heart sank at the sight that awaited us.

The couches had been pushed aside to make room for six white cribs lined up into two rows. Prams lined one wall of the room, each containing nappy bags. The other islanders were already there, hovering over the cribs that had been labelled with the couples’ names. Nobody even noticed as we walked in, too distracted by the crying babies in their arms.

“Where’s ours?” Bobby dropped my hand as he bounded towards the cribs, checking the name tags until he found the one with our names on it.

I stood frozen in place in the doorway and watched as he delicately picked up the doll and brought it close to his chest.

“Hey, baby,” he cooed. “Aren’t you a little cutie?” He pressed the tip of his index finger against the doll’s nose. “Boop!”

“Josie!” Chelsea’s voice snapped me to attention as the blonde bounced towards me and threw her arms around my neck. “How was the hideaway?”

_Should’ve stayed in there all day…_

Priya squealed. “Did you feed the kitty?”

“Huh?”

“Fill the cream donut? Ride the flagpole? Stuff the—”

“Don’t even finish that—”

“Did you Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo?”

My face flushed with heat as I looked over at Bobby, silently begging him to intervene.

“We had a nice night!” he smiled as he walked back over to me and slid an arm around my waist. “I’d say we bonded.”

I smiled up at him and placed my hand over his.

“Oh, they definitely fucked,” Chelsea murmured under her breath as she walked back towards Gary and their doll.

Priya gave me a knowing smile before turning her attention back to her doll.

“Here, lass, meet your baby,” Bobby said as he pushed the doll towards me.

I groaned. “I’m not ready for this.”

“Why not? It’s just a doll, babe. It’ll be fun!”

“You know what would’ve been fun? Taking a shower together.”

He smirked. “I agree, but there’s plenty of time for that later. How often do you get to look after a pretend baby?”

_Ideally? Never._

“Right, well, why don’t I go take a shower, then, and you do… whatever it is you need to do to keep that baby happy.”

He frowned. “But we haven’t even named it yet.”

I sighed as I looked down at the doll, which thankfully wasn’t crying. “Is it a boy or a girl?”

Bobby peeked under the nappy and grinned proudly. “A boy! Can you believe it? We’ve got a baby boy!”

I inhaled deeply, my head already starting to hurt from all the noise in the room. “How about Robert, Jr., then?”

“Junior?”

“Yeah, after his father.”

Bobby’s lips twitched as they turned up into a smile. “Geez, Josie, you been cheating on me? Who’s this Robert dude?”

I stared up at him. “You, silly, I’m talking about you.”

His smile turned into a full-fledged grin. “You think my name is Robert?”

I paused. “Isn’t it?”

“Nope.”

“Is it short for something else?”

“Nope.”

“Your parents actually named you Bobby.”

“That’s what my birth certificate says.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “Okay, then, _Bobby_ , do you have any other name ideas, or do you want to stick with Robert?”

He shrugged. “I don’t mind Robert.” He looked down at the doll cradled in his arm and began speaking in a sing-songy voice, “What do you think, son? Do you want to be a Robert? Yeah? You like that?”

The baby started wailing, and I cringed. “I guess he doesn’t like Robert.”

Bobby shifted the doll against his chest and patted its back as he looked down at me. “Go ahead, take your shower. We can figure out a name later.”

“Great!” I lifted onto my tiptoes to give him a peck on the cheek, then looked uncertainly at the doll in his arms before turning and heading upstairs.

After a quick shower, I headed into the dressing room to get ready for the day. The other girls were already in there, some of them looking after their dolls, others having pawned them off on their partners. Of course, they were discussing the topic of babies and which of the boys seemed to be up to today’s challenge.

“You know who I think is gonna do a great job today?” Lottie asked. “Bobby. He looked really excited, and I just know he’s the type that would be good around kids.”

I sighed as I ran my hairbrush through my hair. “Yeah, no kidding. You should’ve seen the way his face lit up.”

“That’s so cute!” Chelsea beamed. “Gary seemed really up for it, too, which is great for me.”

“Arjun, as well,” Priya smiled, cradling her doll in her arms. “He’s already got loads of nieces and nephews, so he knows what he’s doing.”

“You girls are lucky,” Shannon huffed. “Lucas doesn’t like kids, and I’m not too sure, either. I don’t think we’ve got any chance at winning today.”

“Winning?” I asked.

“Oh, were you not around when we got the text?” she replied. “Whichever couple takes the best care of their baby will win a special prize. It’d be nice to win, but I don’t want to be the one doing all the work.”

“Oh. Bobby will probably want to win something like that.”

“At least you know he’ll be good, and that takes the pressure off you.”

“Right,” I sighed.

_If anything, that just adds even more pressure. What if I do a shit job?_

“I already can’t wait for this day to be over,” Elisa whined as she drew her eyeliner on, “I might just throw the kid off the roof terrace the next time it starts screaming.”

_Same._

At that moment, one of the dolls started crying, and we all groaned. Lottie grabbed her baby and started rocking it, trying to quiet it down.

“Priya, what are you doing?” I asked as I looked over at her.

She was holding a blush brush in her hand and was wisping it across her doll’s cheeks.

“I’m giving Arya some colour! She needs makeup.”

“It’s a baby; you don’t put makeup on babies.”

She grinned up at me. “Why not? My baby’s gonna be the belle of the villa.” She cooed at the baby for a few seconds, then picked up a perfume bottle and spritzed it in the air just above the doll, letting the droplets fall on it.

“And perfume? You’re so lucky it’s just a doll.”

A knock sounded on the door.

“Come in!”

The door opened, and a pram rolled in, Bobby following close behind. His eyes fell upon me, and he grinned.

“Can you look after the babe while I get ready, lass?”

I sighed, not really seeing any possible way to get myself out of doing this. “Yeah, I guess that’s only fair.”

He pushed the pram over to where I sat at the vanity and leaned over, cupping my face with both hands and kissing me.

“Thanks, lass. I’ll be quick.”

He straightened and scurried out of the room.

“Aw, that was kind of adorable,” Chelsea smiled. “You two are so cute.”

I blushed. “Thanks.”

“What did you name your kid?”

I looked down at the little monster in the pram next to me, thankful that it was silent at the moment. “We haven’t decided yet. What about the rest of you?”

“Ours is Magenta Blueberry!” she beamed. “Magenta because I like pink, and Blueberry after Gary’s favourite fruit!”

I smiled. “I like that.”

“Ours is Horace Kingsley Whittaker,” Elisa said. “Marisol let me name him.”

_Pretentious._

“Interesting.”

“Mine is Jack,” Shannon spoke up. “After the Jacks in a deck of playing cards.”

“And this little wee one,” Lottie indicated the doll in her arms, “is Clover Skye.”

“That’s a cute name.”

“It is, isn’t it?” she smiled. “Henrik wanted to name her Moss, but I was having none of it. Got him to agree to Clover instead.”

The doll chose that moment to start wailing again, and Lottie cursed.

“Okay, I think it’s daddy’s turn to look after the baby,” she said, rising to her feet and placing the doll back in the pram. “I’m done in here, anyway. C’mon, Clo, let’s find your papa!”

She strolled out of the room, yelling Henrik’s name as she disappeared down the hall.

I let out a small sigh as I looked over at the doll in my pram. I smirked as an idea popped into my head.

_If I’m gonna be stuck with this thing, I may as well at least have some fun with it._

*********

“Bobby?”

I pushed the pram through the bedroom door, finding it empty.

_Damnit._

The doll was wailing loudly, its mechanical cry grating on my ears, and I had no idea what to do with it. I hurried through the bedroom and pushed open the door to the yard with my back, pulling the stroller outside with me and dragging it to the kitchen. Bobby was standing there, casually leaning against the fridge, chatting with Gary.

“Bobby!”

He turned and smiled as he saw me, then noticed the crying baby, and his eyes widened. He rushed over and picked it up, cradling it in his arms and immediately rocking it gently as he looked back at me. The baby kept crying.

“What’s the matter?”

“I don’t know!” I huffed. “It just started crying, and I have no idea how to shut it up.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Picking it up instead of leaving it in the pram would’ve been a start. They need to be held.”

“I did pick it up. It didn’t work.”

“He’s probably hungry.” He looked down at the baby, then frowned. “Josie, why does our baby have a mustache?”

“Why not?” I shrugged.

“You defaced our baby!”

“It’s just eyeliner.”

He wiped his finger on the doll’s upper lip, on which I had drawn a mustache in brown eyeliner. The makeup smudged a little bit, and he looked at his finger in disgust. “Why would you do that?”

“For fun. You should see Priya’s doll.”

Bobby sighed and rubbed his hand over his dreads. “Whatever, let’s just get this baby fed so it’ll stop crying.”

He reached down and grabbed the nappy bag from the bottom of the pram and carried it, along with the doll, back into the kitchen. He lifted the bag onto the counter and rummaged through it until he came up with a bottle, which he placed against the doll’s lips. Within seconds the doll quieted and began making a sucking sound, and I sighed in relief.

_Finally._

“So adorable!” Bobby smiled as he looked down at the doll in his arms.

My stomach rumbled loudly. “What’s for breakfast?”

“Oh, um,” he grinned sheepishly, “I got distracted by Gary’s baby and haven’t made any yet.”

“Oh.” My shoulders slumped.

“Sorry, lass, could you get breakfast today? Unless you wanna finish feeding the baby.”

I looked dubiously at the doll. “No, that’s alright. I’ll find something.”

I stepped into the pantry and looked over the shelves. My stomach complained again, so in my impatience I grabbed a box of cereal and stepped back out.

_Good enough._

I set the box on the counter, ignoring the shake of Bobby’s head as I grabbed a couple of bowls and spoons, then turned to the fridge for the milk. I poured the cereal, then followed it up with the milk, accidentally splashing some of it on the counter.

“Oh, fuck right off,” I groaned.

“Hey, you okay?” Bobby asked, a look of concern written on his face.

I twisted the cap back onto the milk carton and set it down hard, then picked up my spoon and stabbed it into the bowl. “I’m tired. I’m hungry. I’m irritated. The day’s barely even started and I’m already sick of the sound of these dumb dolls.”

“It’s not that bad,” he replied with a shrug.

“It’s gonna haunt my dreams, I just know it.”

“Hey,” he put down the doll’s bottle and reached out, placing his hand on my arm. “I’m here for you. We’re in this together, alright?”

I sighed, then stuffed a spoonful of cereal into my mouth, chewing thoughtfully before nodding.

“Good,” he said with a pleased smile. He lifted the doll against his chest and began lightly patting its back. “Now, why don’t we give this kiddo a name?”

I swallowed. “How about ‘It’?”

Bobby frowned.

“’Thing’?”

“Josie…”

“’Little Monster’?”

His lips twitched. “Definitely not.”

“Robert Jr. didn’t work, how about Bobby Jr.?”

“I’m not giving my kid the initials ‘BJ.’”

“Why not?” I smirked, and he rolled his eyes.

“Obvious reasons. Besides, that name is taken.” He lowered his eyes to his crotch, then looked back at me with a smirk.

This time it was my turn to roll my eyes.

“Do you have any family members you want to name him after?” he asked.

I shrugged. “If I did, I’d rather save those names for a real baby.”

He smiled. “So you’re open to having kids, right?”

“We’ll see how I feel after today,” I said. “So far, it’s not looking too good.”

“It’s different when it’s your own, though. And, you know, when you’ve had nine months to prepare for it.”

I smirked. “Are you speaking from experience? That explains why you’re already so good at dad jokes.”

His face brightened. “You like my dad jokes?”

“No,” I rolled my eyes. “They’re terrible, that’s the whole point.”

“Nah, I know you love ‘em, you can’t fool me. Anyway, I’m talking about my sister. She wasn’t sure either, but once she had my niece, everything changed.”

I smiled, loving the way his face lit up when he talked about his family. I continued eating as he chatted away about his three-year-old niece. As he spoke, he placed the doll in the pram and poured himself a bowl of cereal.

“I can’t wait for you to meet them,” he said, just before taking a bite.

I nearly choked on my food. This was the second time he had mentioned wanting me to meet his family, and it didn’t seem like a throwaway comment. But it just made everything seem so real. And meeting the family was a huge deal. I usually went months without introducing boyfriends to my family or meeting theirs, and Bobby wasn’t my boyfriend. We technically weren’t even dating.

_Oh, god, they’ve probably seen us do bits on telly._

Bobby didn’t seem to notice my reaction. Instead, he was staring up at the ceiling as he chewed, a thoughtful expression on his face.

“What do you think of the name Theo?” he asked suddenly.

“Huh?”

“For the baby. Theo.”

“Oh, sure.”

He could have said any name at that point, and I probably would have agreed.

_Theo. I can live with that._

*********

After breakfast, we took the baby into the Beach Hut to introduce it properly to the viewers. I took a seat in the big chair, and Bobby sat next to me, wrapping one arm around my shoulders as he cradled the baby in the other.

“I wasn’t expecting to wake up today and have a child,” I said, making a face at the camera.

“It wasn’t planned,” Bobby nodded. He shifted his arm, holding the baby up slightly for the camera. “This is baby Theo.”

“Yup, one night in the hideaway, and suddenly we’re parents.”

“Life moves fast, doesn’t it?”

“Too fast, if you ask me. I’m not ready for a baby.”

“Hey, you know what this means?” Bobby turned to me, a sparkle in his eye. “It means you’re a MILF now.”

I rolled my eyes and elbowed him as he laughed. For the next ten minutes, we answered a few questions and talked about the challenge, until the baby started crying and we were allowed to leave.

Once Bobby got the baby to settle down, we took a stroll around the villa, making idle chatter with the other couples. It seemed like everywhere we went, someone’s baby was wreaking havoc.

As we walked across the lawn, we crossed paths with Henrik, who was cradling his doll in his arms.

“What a cutie!” he grinned as he looked into our stroller at our sleeping baby. “Is it a boy?”

“It’s a man,” Bobby deadpanned, pointing his finger into Henrik’s chest. “Don’t ever disrespect our baby ever again.”

“Oh!” Henrik laughed. “Right, sorry, bro! Man. Guess that makes mine a woman?”

He held up his baby, then let out a curse.

“I think it just peed on me! Gross! Lottiiiie!”

Bobby laughed as we watched Henrik bound up the stairs towards the villa in search of his partner.

“C’mon, lass, let’s go sit by the pool.”

I followed him as he wheeled the pram over to the pool. As I sat down on the coping, dangling my legs in the water, he gingerly picked up the doll and sat next to me.

“You should hold him for a bit,” he said, holding the doll out towards me.

I wrinkled my nose as I looked at it, prompting him to hold it out even further.

“Just give it a try. We’re supposed to be doing this together, babe.”

I sighed and gave in, holding out my arms for him to place the doll into them.

“How do I even hold it?”

“Just like this,” he replied, positioning my arms so that I was cradling it against my chest. “Perfect.”

He shifted closer to me, resting his chin on my shoulder as he looked down at the doll and reached out to grasp its hand, making cooing noises.

“If you wanted to play with it, you could’ve just kept it.”

“Nope, this is better,” he said, briefly pressing his lips against my skin. “Joint effort. It takes two to make a baby, two to raise it.”

“I thought it took a village.”

“To make a baby? Nah, you’ve got it all wrong. Sounds fun, though.”

I laughed and shook my head, a smile lingering on my lips as I swung my legs back and forth in the water.

“The water looks nice,” he said. “Do you mind if I go for a swim?”

“Oh, um—”

“I’ll be right here if you and Theo need me.”

“Fine,” I sighed, looking down at the doll in my arms. “I guess I can try.”

“You’re doing great.” He kissed me on the cheek, then slid into the water, turning onto his back and giving me a grin as he pushed himself off the wall and swam away.

“How’s it going?”

The voice behind me startled me and I jumped slightly, causing Theo to begin to fuss. I winced and started rocking him, trying to shush him before he got louder.

“Sorry,” Lucas said as he sat down in the space vacated by Bobby. “Didn’t mean to scare you. How are you doing today?”

“Bobby’s been doing most of the work, to be honest.”

“Not a fan of babies?”

“They scare the shit out of me.”

He laughed pleasantly. “Yeah, I get it. They’re not for everyone.”

“What about you?”

“I don’t want them myself, but I don’t mind helping out with the challenge. Shannon’s not big on kids either, so it would hardly be fair for me to dump it all on her.”

“I’m lucky Bobby likes them, or he’d be so frustrated with me right now.”

“Yeah, probably,” he smirked, leaning back on his arms as we watched Bobby swim back and forth along the length of the pool.

I briefly wondered what it would have been like doing the challenge with Lucas instead of Bobby.

_Probably a disaster._

I felt something cold on my leg and looked down, confused at first to see what looked like a trickle of water running down my thigh.

“Oh, fuck!” I held the doll away from me as it continued to drip, and it immediately began to wail. “Bobby!”

Lucas laughed next to me as Bobby turned around at the sound of his name.

“Bobby, help!”

“What’s the matter, lass?”

“It’s peeing!”

He grinned. “So change the nappy.”

I looked away from the doll to glare at him. “I don’t know what to do!”

“It’s easy.”

Lucas rose to his feet. “Sorry, you’re on your own with this one.”

I ignored him as I looked pleadingly at Bobby, who hadn’t moved any closer yet. “Babe, please.”

“You’re doing great, sweetie.”

“I swear, I’m gonna chuck this thing in the pool if you don’t help me out!”

He laughed as he finally began swimming back over. When he reached the side, he rested his arms on the ledge, not making a move to exit the water.

“I’ll walk you through it,” he said.

“What?” I stared at him with wide eyes. “Can’t you do it?”

He pressed a kiss to my knee. “You’re more than capable, Josie. It’s just a nappy change.”

“Make it stop crying!”

“Just follow my instructions and it’ll stop, I promise.”

“Fine, hurry!”

“Okay, set it down on the ground and grab the nappy bag from the pram.”

I placed the doll on the ground and hurriedly grabbed the nappy bag. A bottle fell out and rolled towards the water, and Bobby grabbed it right at the last second.

“Okay, so you’ve gotta remove the old nappy and clean the area. I think there are some wipes in there.

I dug through the bag, came up with a clean nappy and a package of wipes, and followed his instructions.

“Next there should be some talcum powder; sprinkle a bit of that on.”

“What’s this stuff for, anyway?”

“It’s to prevent nappy rash.”

“It’s a fucking doll.”

He chuckled. “Gotta learn the right way. Okay, now that’s done, all you’ve gotta do is put the new nappy on. And done.”

I snapped the closures on the nappy, and the doll ceased its wailing.

“Oh my god, it stopped.”

“Good job, babe, I knew you could do it.”

I let out a relieved sigh as I picked up the doll and placed it in the pram.

“Now stay quiet,” I demanded.

Bobby laughed as he pulled himself out of the water and reached for me.

“Bobby, you’re all wet,” I protested.

“Too bad.” He pulled me towards him, and I let myself lean into him as our lips met.

I cupped his cheek with my hand, feeling the movements of his jaw as he deepened the kiss, hungrily seeking my tongue with his own.

The doll began to fuss, its cries turning to a loud howl as we separated with a sigh.

“I’m gonna kill that thing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos/Comments are always appreciated! ❤


	40. Babies, pt. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a long one, but I wanted to get the rest of the day into this chapter. Enjoy!
> 
> Special thanks to Kat for the smut help and Lauren for looking it over for me!

“Come sit with me, lass.”

Baby Theo had been fed, burped, and changed, and was mercifully sleeping in the pram that Bobby had cautiously carried up to the roof terrace with us. It had been an exhausting morning so far, and after a lack of sleep the night before, we both needed a break from the other couples and their crying kids, so we sneaked up to the terrace for some alone time.

Bobby sat down in the corner between the two benches, leaning his back against the wall, and tapped his hand on his thigh.

“You want me to sit on your lap?” I smirked as I pushed the pram and lined it up next to the bench.

“Nah, just sit, like… here,” he stretched one of his legs out along the bench and indicated the space between them.

I walked over to him and sat in front of him, leaning back so my back was against his chest and stretching my legs out on the bench in front of me.

“Here?” I asked, twisting my neck to look up at him.

“Perfect,” he smiled. He wrapped his arms around my waist as I snuggled against him. “It’s nice to get a little peace and quiet.”

“Sort of.”

We could still hear the sounds of wailing babies, but it was easier to shut them out.

“Today hasn’t been too bad for you, has it?”

I sighed. “If anything, it’s confirmed that I’m not ready for kids anytime soon.”

“That’s fine,” he said, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “Everyone moves at their own pace.”

“Would it be a deal-breaker for you? If someone didn’t want kids?”

He was silent for a moment before responding. “I don’t know. I guess it depends on the person and where we are in the relationship. I love kids, but could I love someone enough that it wouldn’t matter to me whether we had kids or not? Probably.”

“Would you resent them, though?”

He exhaled, the air whistling through his teeth. “I hope not. That wouldn’t be fair.”

“Right.”

“What about you? I know you’re kind of iffy on the whole idea.”

“If I were with someone who didn’t want them, I think that would be a relief. I would just go with what they wanted and be okay with it.”

“And if they wanted kids?” he asked, gently running the backs of his fingers along my arm.

“There are a lot of factors that go into it.”

“Like?”

I thought for a moment. “Job stability. Parenting roles. How strong you are as a couple. It’s just gotta be the right person, you know? There are some people I just couldn’t see myself having kids with. Other people who would make me more likely to agree.”

“And which one am I?” he asked, a smile in his voice.

_Honestly? Probably the latter._

I didn’t say what I was thinking, choosing instead to play coy. “We’ll just have to see how things go, won’t we?”

He chuckled softly and began sliding his hands gently up and down my sides, his fingers hot against my skin. I relaxed in his arms, resting my head on his chest and closing my eyes. Breathing in deeply, I let his scent envelop me as Bobby laid kisses along my cheek and jaw; I tilted my head to the side, allowing him access to my neck.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t take that shower together this morning,” he whispered, his breath against my neck causing a shiver to go through me.

I lifted my hand to the back of his neck and pulled him towards my lips, his arms snaking around me once more as our mouths met in a gentle, yet meaningful kiss that told more than either of us could use words to say.

I shifted in my seat, twisting my body around and felt him stirring beneath me as he began to harden. I smiled against his lips as I reached down between us, a soft groan escaping his mouth as I cupped him in my hand.

“We could sneak in there now,” I smirked.

“Can’t,” he gasped as I stroked him through his shorts. “We’ve gotta look after—Theo.”

I glanced over my shoulder at the doll, which showed no sign of waking up, then looked back at Bobby, biting my lower lip mischievously.

“Theo’s fine,” I said, slipping my hand upwards and splaying it flat across his stomach. “But I suppose we don’t need the shower.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, his eyes never leaving mine as my fingers slipped below his waistband and wrapped around his cock, stroking my thumb along its length.

“You don’t have to—” Bobby’s eyes darted downwards to where my hand disappeared inside his shorts, and the muscles of his stomach tensed.

“Shh,” I pressed a finger to his lips, then replaced it with my mouth, quieting his protests as my hand moved along his shaft, pumping him slowly.

I licked his lips, teasing him with my tongue while my thumb moved over his head, the soft touch making his hips jerk into my palm as he groaned into my mouth. I continued stroking him, twisting my wrist as I reached the head, pressing my body against his side as his arm snaked around my waist and clutched me close, his fingers digging into my hip.

His chest vibrated with every little noise of pleasure he made, the sounds reverberating through me, filling me with a sense of delight at the effect I had on him. He throbbed in my hand, his breaths shortening as he neared his release, and a warm wave of pleasure coursed through me.

Without warning I broke away, stealing my lips from his and removing my hand from his shorts as he grasped at me, groaning in desperation.

“Josie…”

“Hold on.”

I tossed a couple cushions onto the ground and lowered my knees onto them, sitting between his knees and looking up at him, his eyes dark and burning with need as they bore into me. I tugged on his shorts and he lifted his hips, allowing me to pull them down his legs.

My eyes travelled over the length of his body, drinking in the sight of his body fully exposed in the light of day. The sounds of the islanders chattering below us, completely oblivious to what we were doing, made the blood in my veins run faster, filling me with excitement.

I placed my hands on Bobby’s knees and pressed my lips against his inner thigh, the contact sending a shiver down my spine as he quivered at my touch.

I moved slow, teasingly kissing and licking my way inch by inch inwards, my hands sliding ever so gradually along his thighs as his legs trembled in anticipation. He had his arms spread over the sides of the balcony, and his hands gripped the edge tightly, knuckles turning white with the strength of his grip. He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, biting into it as he held my gaze.

I finally reached the crease of his thigh and pulled my lips away from his leg to poise at his tip, the rock-hard cock standing at attention, begging to be touched.

“Please,” he choked out.

I flicked my tongue across his head and he jerked upwards involuntarily. I slid my hands onto his hips, holding him down as I blew on the damp spot my tongue had left.

“Ah, fuck.” Bobby’s voice was strained, his whole body wound tight as he squeezed his eyes shut and threw his head back, sucking in a deep breath.

I drew him into my mouth, and even my grip on his hips wasn’t enough to keep him from jerking upwards, pressing further into me as he exhaled with a loud sigh. I took him in deeper, my lips circling around him as my tongue traced along the underside and I began moving my head back and forth, feeling him twitch and jolt as I sucked and stroked his length.

No longer able to keep his hands to himself, he threaded his fingers through my hair with a low groan, gently tugging my head back as he rolled his hips, thrusting into me.

“Oh, god, yes,” he murmured, and I hummed against him in response, his pleasure making my stomach fill with butterflies.

I closed my eyes, focusing only on the movements of my tongue and lips and the effect they were having on him; every sound coming from his lips, every tremor of his body flowing through me like waves of pleasure.

Bobby’s body tensed as a noise broke into my consciousness, and my eyes flew open to see him staring at something just beyond my shoulder. A mechanical wail reached my ears, and I remembered the doll lying in its pram sitting behind me.

_Fuck off, Theo!_

Bobby’s arms reached out as he leaned forward at the waist. “Josie—oh, fuck—the babe—”

I relaxed my throat and took him in deeper, swallowing as he hit the back of my throat, my fingers tightening their grasp on his hips as I held him in place. His surprised gasp turned to a groan, and as the doll’s cries grew louder I kicked my foot back, sending the pram rolling backwards across the terrace.

His fingers clenched in my hair and his thrusts grew wilder until he came, shuddering and pulsating deep in my throat, his cries drowned out by those of the baby wailing away in its pram.

“Fuck,” he groaned as I pulled away and rose to my feet, licking my lips. He reclined against the wall, a blissed-out expression on his face, the doll forgotten in the euphoria of his high.

I leaned into him and kissed him, and his hands came up to grip my backside as he pulled me against him.

“Josie, that was—” his eyes widened as the doll continued to wail. “Theo!”

He struggled to get to his feet, but I flattened my palms against his chest with a laugh, pushing him back down.

“Relax,” I smirked, then spun on my heels and rushed towards the pram.

I picked up the doll and held it to my chest, rocking it gently as I carried it back over to where Bobby was pulling his shorts up.

He grinned as the doll began to quiet. “You’re getting better at this already.”

“Don’t start getting any ideas!”

I held the doll out to him and he took it from me. He held it up high and began tossing it gently in the air, catching it on its way down as it let out a mechanical giggle.

“We should probably go back downstairs,” I suggested.

“Right.”

He laid the baby on his shoulder and opened the door, motioning his head for me to enter the dressing room ahead of him. I grabbed the pram and rolled it inside.

“Hold up,” Bobby said as I crossed the dressing room.

I turned around, giving him a questioning look. He sat down at the vanity and crooked his finger, beckoning me to come sit beside him. I sat facing him and he held out the doll.

“Here, take Theo. Your hair’s a mess.”

I reached my hand up to touch my hair, confirming his statement. “Oh, I’ll just brush it.”

“Let me.”

He held Theo out to me again and a small smile tugged at my lips as I looked at him, seeing how serious he was.

“You don’t have to.”

“But I _want_ to. Besides,” he smirked, shooting me a wink, “I’m the reason it’s messy.”

I laughed and gave in, taking the doll from him and turning around. He pushed his chair close and I soon felt his fingers combing through the ends of my hair, followed by my hairbrush. I closed my eyes and relaxed as he gently pulled the brush through my strands, my shoulders dropping as the simple gesture released the day’s stress and tension from my body.

When he was finished, he set the brush on the table and wrapped his arms around me from behind, pressing his lips against my neck as I relaxed into him.

“You can brush my hair anytime,” I smiled. “That felt good.”

He smiled against my skin. “Same.”

He kissed me again, then released me and stood up. He took Theo from my arms again and held out a hand to help me to my feet.

“C’mon, others will be wondering where we are.”

“Or what we got up to,” I smirked.

He laughed as he draped his arm over my shoulders. “My lips are sealed.”

We headed back downstairs and out to the lawn, where we found Gary sitting on the ground, fiddling with the wheels on one of the prams.

“Gary, did you break the perambulator?” Bobby asked, a cheeky grin on his face.

“The peram-what?” Gary turned to him with a frown.

“The perambulator.”

Gary shook his head and gestured at the wheel. “Nah, mate, the pram broke. I was pushing Arjun down the stairs in it.”

Bobby chuckled. “Does he need a perambulance?”

I snorted, and Gary’s frown deepened as his brows knit together.

“Mate, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Bobby clapped him on the back. “Don’t worry about it, bruv.”

_DING!_

Gary pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen, then lifted his head and put a hand up to his mouth.

“I got a text!” he yelled.

The others perked up and walked over to where we stood.

“I can’t tell if it’s your baby making that noise, or mine,” Lucas said to Henrik as they walked up together, both carrying their dolls in carriers around their chests.

“It’s yours, bud! Make it stop, quick, before mine starts.”

Bobby shielded Theo away from them as they approached. “Get your crying baby away from mine!”

“Guys,” Lottie rolled her eyes, “let’s just hear what this text is about, okay?”

“With any luck,” Marisol said as she pushed her pram over, “the challenge will be over and we can put these dolls away.”

“But it’s still so early!”

“Doesn’t feel like it,” Elisa muttered.

Gary cleared his throat and waved his phone around in the air. “Um, hello? Text?”

“Go ahead, Gaz,” I said.

“Thanks, Josie. ’Boys, it’s time to get your tan on and make a splash as you head to the beach! Please hand your doll to your partner and head to the Jeep outside. #lifesabeach #sunsoutbunsout’”

“Yes, get in!”

“Lads’ day!”

The boys jumped, cheered, and high-fived each other as the girls grumbled.

“This is well unfair!” Chelsea pouted, her hands on her hips. “Why do the boys get to go?”

“Yeah, we do most of the work!” Lottie agreed.

“That’s not _entirely_ true,” Gary said, side-eying Chelsea.

“What about us?” Marisol asked, pointing at herself and Elisa. “Oh, wait, never mind, I just got a text – ‘Marisol and Elisa, you may choose between yourselves which of you would like to accompany the boys and which will stay behind.’”

They stepped aside to confer between themselves while the boys handed their dolls to their partners.

“Sorry, lass,” Bobby said as he handed me Theo.

“This sucks,” I frowned, taking the doll in my arms. “I was just feeling good again, and now I’m a single mom?”

“You’ll do just fine!” He cupped my cheek and gave me a peck on the lips. “If he cries, try feeding him. If he feeds, make sure you burp him after – you remember how to do that?”

I nodded.

“Great. And you know how to change the nappy. Isn’t it a good thing I made you do it earlier?”

I rolled my eyes. “Not if I end up changing more than you.”

“It’s not a competition,” he laughed.

“Isn’t it?”

He squeezed my arm and smiled. “I trust you, you’ll be great. Plus you’ve got the other girls to help you out if you need it.”

I sighed and reached my hand around the back of his neck, drawing him towards me for a slow, sensual kiss.

“Don’t be long,” I whispered breathily into his ear, then pulled away with a wink.

“Fuck,” he groaned, reaching his arms out for me as I backed away and wagged my finger at him.

“Go, move it,” I laughed. “The sooner you leave, the sooner you can be back. I hope, at least.”

He grinned and stepped forward again to press a kiss to Theo’s forehead.

“Be good for mummy, y’hear?” he whispered.

He turned and followed the boys, dashing up the steps and into the villa. I sighed as I watched him go.

_I’m totally gonna screw this up somehow._

“I hope they don’t decide to do a runner,” Priya said with a chuckle.

“Ugh, imagine?” Lottie grimaced. “I could see them doing it for a laugh.”

“They better not,” Shannon grumbled. “I didn’t sign up for single motherhood.”

“Or any motherhood at all,” Elisa agreed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “One day is enough for me, I think. Or if I ever do have kids, I’ll be getting a nanny.”

“Did you not want to go to the beach?” Priya asked her. “I thought Marisol would have stayed.”

Elisa shrugged. “Hang out with the boys and have them kick sand in my face while I try to tan? No, thanks. I figured I may as well stay here.”

“Wait, where’s your baby?” Chelsea asked, swivelling her head around.

“Oh, it’s inside.” She waved her hand dismissively. “We needed a break so we left it in the lounge for a bit.”

“What if it cries?”

“I don’t care,” she said matter-of-factly. “It’s just a doll. Let it cry.”

Chelsea’s hands flew to her face, her eyes widening as her jaw dropped. “But it’s a baby!”

“It’s just a doll, love. Anyway, I’m going to go make a snack if anyone cares to join me.”

She headed to the kitchen, and Lottie and Chelsea followed her as Priya, Shannon, and I carried our dolls to the daybeds. We lounged there for a while, taking advantage of all our babies being quiet at the same time for once. Eventually, the other girls joined us and we chatted quietly amongst ourselves, talking about babies, careers, and general girl chat.

It was actually kind of nice. The previous times the girls and guys had been separated, there had always been some sort of drama and division, but for once everyone was getting along and being chill. Even Elisa was being friendlier than normal with me, and I had to admit that when she wasn’t surrounded by Marisol or Blake and being purposefully nasty towards me, she actually wasn’t all that bad.

It was hard to believe that our time on Love Island was almost over, and within a few days we’d be leaving. I actually found myself looking forward to spending time with these girls again on the outside, something that was unusual for me. I wasn’t typically the type to have a large group of female friends, but these girls had grown on me.

Chelsea let out a loud yawn. “It’s kind of boring without the boys.”

“It’s weird, isn’t it?” Lottie nodded. “They drive us crazy all day, but something’s missing without them.”

“They’re a lot of fun,” I agreed.

Priya sat up straight. “Wait, we can have fun!” she grinned, a twinkle in her eye.

“What, like, now?”

“Yeah! Let’s do something fun!”

“Like what?” Shannon asked curiously. “We’ve got babies to look after.”

“We’ll do something with the babies. Like…” Priya tapped her finger on her lips thoughtfully, “like a race!”

“A race?” Elisa raised an eyebrow.

“A mum’s race!” Priya clasped her hands together excitedly. “Like an obstacle course, where you have to complete some tasks and whoever’s the fastest wins!”

“That sounds fun,” I said.

“Oh, I’m in!” Chelsea beamed, raising her arm in the air.

Lottie shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

“Okay, give me five minutes to set up and then meet me by the pool!”

“I’ll help,” I offered.

We set up an obstacle course that spanned most of the villa. It would start by the pool where we placed two rows of beanbags, one on each end of the pool. We would each have to place our dolls in the prams and race from one side to the other, around the beanbags, and then back to the other end, where we would feed the dolls and change their nappies. Once changed, we would carry them to the daybeds and dress them in a new outfit, then bring them inside, swaddle them in a blanket, and place them in their cribs for a nap.

Elisa didn’t feel like participating, so she agreed to be the referee. The rest of us pushed our prams to the starting point and got ready.

“On your mark… set… go!”

I pushed my pram forward, and as someone used to working out, I quickly took an early lead. As I turned around the beanbag, however, my pram got tangled up with Priya’s as she approached.

“Oh shit, sorry!” she laughed.

I tugged on my pram, trying to disentangle it from hers, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Shit, they’re getting ahead!”

I pulled harder – too hard. As the two prams came apart, I stumbled backward, landing on my arse as the pram toppled over and the doll fell out.

“Josie, your baby!” Priya cried out in horror.

I twisted around just in time to see the doll roll off the edge of the pool and into the water.

“Fuck!” I yelled, scrambling to my hands and knees and crawling over to the pool. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

_Please don’t be ruined, please don’t be ruined…_

The doll was dripping wet as I pulled it out, and it was crying loudly, its normal howl replaced with a robotic wail.

“Quick, dry it off!” Priya cried. “I’ll fetch a towel!”

She ran off, and instead of waiting around I pulled off its wet clothes and nappy and ran towards the daybeds. I dropped onto one of the beds and rubbed the doll against the duvet in an attempt to dry it off.

Priya came back and tossed the towel at me, and I quickly wrapped the doll up in it. The crying stopped, and I looked up at Priya with wide eyes.

“Shit, do you think it’s busted?”

She bit her lip as she looked back at me. “Maybe Bobby won’t notice?”

“Fuck, do you think he’ll be pissed?”

She came around to the side of the bed and sat down next to me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I’m sure he won’t, hun! It’s just a doll and a challenge.”

“I know, but he was enjoying it so much!”

“Yeah, but Bobby? Pissed over a dumb doll? You know him better than that.”

I sighed. “You’re right. I just…”

“You don’t want to disappoint him, because you care a lot about him.”

I looked up at her in surprise, and she smiled.

“You’ve always cared for him. And now that you’re in a romantic couple, you’re afraid of doing something that will alienate him.”

“That’s…”

“Absolutely accurate?” She grinned. “I know, I’m great.”

I sighed, looking down at the doll in my arms. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“About me being great? Why, thank you!”

I laughed as I looked up at her. “You are great. And you’re also right about me being afraid. I’ve already screwed things up before, like with Lucas, when is he going to get fed up and decide enough is enough?”

“Babe, trust me, you don’t need to worry. Bobby has seen you at your worst and it hasn’t changed his mind about you yet. The boy adores you! I don’t think you have anything to be concerned about.”

“Thanks, Pri.”

“Priya! Josie!” Chelsea’s voice called us from the kitchen. “Where’d you guys go?”

Priya squeezed my shoulder and smiled. “C’mon, let’s go see who won the race.”

She went back to the lawn to fetch her doll, which had been sitting quietly in her pram since we abandoned the race, and then we headed into the villa, finding the other girls in the bedroom. Apparently Lottie had won the race, with Shannon close behind. Chelsea had gotten hung up in the clothing change leg of the race because she hadn’t been able to find a pink outfit to change her doll into, so she had ended up last.

“That was fun!” Chelsea beamed, not seeming to mind her last place finish. “What are we going to do next?”

“Honey, I’m hooome!” The sound of the boys’ voices filled the foyer as they returned from their beach trip.

Chelsea’s face brightened and she ran out of the room.

“BABE!” she cried, and we heard a grunt from Gary, presumably from her jumping on him.

The boys and Marisol filed into the bedroom, each of them looking relaxed from their time away, and went to join their partners.

Bobby caught my eye and a smile brightened his face as he walked over to give me a hug and kiss.

“And how’s baby Theo?” he asked, reaching for the doll, which was still wrapped in the towel.

“Um—”

The doll began to cry, the robotic sound making me cringe, and his eyes widened.

“Lass, what happened to Theo?!”

“I, um—he—”

He looked at me expectantly, and my shoulders slumped.

“He fell in the pool,” I mumbled softly.

“Sorry, what?” he moved his ear closer. “I didn’t hear you.”

“He fell in the pool,” I said again, louder this time.

His mouth opened and closed again without making a sound.

I sighed. “We were having a race. The prams got stuck, and when we pulled them apart, he fell out and rolled into the pool.”

He stared at me and I lowered my eyes, waiting for him to get upset. After what felt like minutes but was in reality only a few seconds, I felt fingers beneath my chin, and he tilted my face upwards. I lifted my eyes to see his own crinkled at the edges, a sparkle in them.

“Did you think I’d be mad?” There was amusement in his tone.

“Yes and no.”

He chuckled. “I keep telling you, hun, it’s just a doll and just a challenge. I know you wouldn’t do that to a real kid.”

He lowered his lips to mine, his fingers tracing along my jaw and curling around the back of my neck. Theo kept crying in between us, but we barely noticed, too absorbed in the taste of each other’s lips to think of anything else. I leaned into him, my arms snaking around his waist.

_DING!_

“That better be good news,” I said as our lips separated. I turned around, and his hand dropped to the small of my back as we waited for Priya to read out the text she had received.

“’Ladies,’” she smiled, “’You’ve had a tough day of it, but now it’s your turn to be pampered. Please get ready for some ‘you’ time while the boys stay home with the babies. #mumsontour #daddydaycare’”

“Yes!” Chelsea squealed. “It’s our turn!”

“Thank god,” I mumbled under my breath as I turned to Bobby. “He’s all yours now.”

“Guess I can’t do any worse than his mum did, can I?” he smirked cheekily.

“I’m sure you could finish the job if you really tried,” I grinned.

He laughed and smacked my bum, making me jump a bit.

“Go get ready, MILF.”

I bit my lip at him as I backed away, then blew him a kiss before turning and running upstairs to the dressing room to change.

Ten minutes later, we piled into a couple Jeeps, baby-less and ready to be pampered.

“MILFs on tour!” Chelsea shouted from her Jeep, waving her arms in the air as she stood up in the vehicle, and the rest of us joined in the chant.

A short drive later, we arrived at a day spa, where we were treated to relaxing massages and facials before being led to an outdoor patio where a table had been set up for us with drinks and appetizers. The patio was surrounded by lush greenery, lending a relaxing atmosphere to the experience.

“Oh, I need this so bad,” Priya said as she picked up a glass of cava and immediately drank the whole thing. She let out a satisfied sigh as she wiped her mouth.

We all took our seats around the table as Priya refilled her glass, then picked up our drinks and clinked the glasses together, toasting ourselves and the break from the babies.

“How do you think the boys are coping without us?” Lottie asked, before taking a sip of bubbly.

“They’ve all been surprisingly really good,” Priya answered in between bites of hors d’oeuvres.

“Even Lucas has been better than I anticipated,” Shannon nodded. “We’ve worked well together.”

“Honestly, it’s so sexy to watch,” Chelsea said. She rested her chin in her hand, a dreamy expression on her face. “Like, these guys were hot before, but seeing how well they’ve handled this?”

“I know,” Priya agreed, waving her face with her hand. “It’s so attractive to see that sensitive side of the guys coming out. It’s honestly starting to make me feel a bit broody.”

“Really?” Elisa turned to her in shock. “You?”

“I know, right? I never expected this, but seeing Arjun with a baby is doing something to me.”

“That’s sweet,” I smiled at her. “I’m so glad you took a chance on him.”

“Me too,” she smiled gratefully back at me. “Thanks for encouraging me.”

I waved my hand, indicating it was nothing.

“The end is in sight,” Elisa said. “How are we all feeling?”

There was silence for a moment as we all thought about it.

“I feel good,” Lottie said first. “Whatever happens, happens. I know I did my best, and the rest isn’t up to me.”

“That’s a good attitude to have,” Priya smiled. “And I agree. It’s out of our hands, but we’ve all formed good connections in here so we can all be proud of ourselves.”

“I may not have found a romantic connection,” Shannon said, “but I think Lucas and I will be really good friends. And I’m happy to have met all of you, as well. I don’t always find it easy to be friends with girls, but you’ve all been great.”

“Cheers to that!” Lottie lifted her glass, and the rest of us followed suit.

“I agree,” I said. “I… I know I’ve said and done a lot of things over the past few weeks that have hurt people, and I haven’t always had the best relationship with some of you,” my eyes flickered around the table at Lottie, Chelsea, and Elisa, “but I appreciate that we’ve been able to move past it all. I didn’t come here looking to make friends, but I really feel that that’s what you’ve all become.”

“More than friends,” Chelsea smiled. “Sisters.”

I returned her smile gratefully. “Whatever else happens, whenever we leave here, I look forward to seeing you all again on the outside.”

“Amen!” Priya exclaimed, raising a hand in the air. “We’re all part of each other’s lives now, like it or not!”

“Wooo!” Chelsea cheered, lifting her glass again for another toast.

The mood was light as we continued to chat and laugh while we enjoyed the food, drinks, and each other’s company, until all too soon it was time to head back to the villa. The drive back was quieter this time, as we each reflected on the conversation, the day’s events, and the approaching end of our time in the villa. The Jeeps pulled up to the villa’s front door to drop us off, and we filed back inside.

“It’s quiet in here,” I commented as we walked through the villa, no boys in sight.

“When it comes to babies and boys,” Lottie said, “quiet usually means trouble.”

We crossed the bedroom and exited the building, looking around for the guys.

“Girls,” Priya whispered as she held up a hand, indicating for us to stop. “This is so cute.”

The boys and Marisol were on the lawn. They had laid out yoga mats in a circle, and were leading each other through various yoga poses with the dolls.

“That’s so adorable!” Chelsea squealed. She was unable to control her volume, and at the sound of her voice the boys turned around, the spell broken.

They looked happy and relieved to see us, and immediately jumped up to come greet us.

“Welcome back, lass!” Bobby came up to me with a grin and wrapped one arm around me, the other cradling Theo. “Did you have a nice time?”

“Yeah, it was really nice,” I answered. I looked him over, then looked at Theo. “Did you do that on purpose?”

“Do what on purpose?”

“You and Theo are matching. You weren’t wearing those shorts when I left.”

He had been wearing his purple swim shorts earlier in the day, but now he was in a blue camo pair. Theo was wearing a similarly patterned button-up shirt with a pair of black shorts.

Bobby grinned. “Well, my purple shorts had sand in them so I had to change anyway, and when I found this shirt, I figured, why not? Like father, like son.”

I rolled my eyes in response.

“Well, _I_ thought it was cute,” he chuckled.

“Sure, it’s totally cute for a grown man to match clothing with a doll.”

He laughed as he reached for my hand and led me towards the daybeds.

“Theo’s voice is better,” he said, “so you don’t have to worry about having permanently damaged him.”

“Whew, that’s a relief.”

We sat down on one of the beds, and Bobby laid an arm around my shoulders as we leaned back against the headboard, the doll lying between us.

“So what did you do while we were gone?” I asked.

He told me about how Lucas had played doctor and examined all the babies, paying extra special attention to Theo’s lungs. Henrik had tried teaching his doll how to climb a tree, which had predictably gone south and resulted in it falling from one of the branches, needing more of Lucas’s attention. Then they had done a workout with the babies, taken a nap, and finished off with yoga.

“Oh, by the way,” he said, reaching into his pocket, “I picked this up at the beach for you.”

He handed me a seashell, a perfectly shaped orange-and-white clam shell.

“Bobby,” I breathed, turning it over in my hands, “it’s gorgeous.”

“It can be a memento of our time here. In the villa.”

“That’s so sweet.” I leaned over and gave him a peck on the lips before turning my gaze back towards the shell. “I love it.”

“Good. I—”

“YO I GOT A TEXT!” Henrik called out from the sun loungers. “The challenge is over!”

“Oh, thank god,” I said, dropping my head against the headboard in relief.

“Aw, but I’m gonna miss this little guy.”

I rolled off the bed and held out my hand for Bobby to take. “C’mon, let’s put Theo to bed.”

He sniffled. “You say he’s going to sleep, but I know you’re just trying to keep the truth from me.”

“The truth?”

He looked up at me, his bottom lip protruding. “He’s dying, isn’t he?”

My shoulders shook as I laughed. “He’s going to a better place, honey.”

He sighed, and finally took my offered hand, letting me help him off the bed. “Fine.”

“You’re such a dork,” I smiled as we walked towards the villa.

“Aye, but you love it.”

I did. He had a way of keeping a smile on my face like nobody else ever had, and he always knew how to lift my spirits. But he also had a serious and responsible side to him, and even if I wasn’t entirely sold on the idea of kids, I had to admit that the way he had been today had made him even more attractive to me. If I were ever going to have children of my own, it would have to be with someone like him.

We joined the other couples in the lounge, where they were already placing their dolls in the cribs. Everyone seemed happy and relieved to be done with the challenge.

Except Bobby, who was frowning at the doll in his arms.

“I’m gonna miss this little guy, for some reason,” he said. He looked up at me, his eyes shining with a hint of extra moisture. “I’m strangely emotional.”

I placed a comforting hand on his arm and gave him a smile. “You’ll be okay.”

He smiled back at me, then lowered the doll into the crib. He pressed his finger to its nose. “Boop…”

_DING!_

Bobby pulled his phone out of his pocket and yelled for everyone’s attention.

“’Islanders, congratulations on being parents for the day. The couple who took the best care of their baby and therefore the winners of this challenge are Priya and Arjun…’”

Priya cheered and turned to give Arjun a high-five.

“What did we win?” Arjun asked.

“It doesn’t say,” Bobby shrugged before continuing, “’Chelsea and Gary, and Shannon and Lucas also passed the challenge…’”

Chelsea squealed and jumped into Gary’s arms, while Shannon and Lucas gave each other fist bumps.

“’Josie and Bobby, Lottie and Henrik, and Elisa and Marisol failed.’”

“Sorry, babe,” I whispered.

Elisa and Marisol just shrugged, while Lottie punched Henrik in the arm.

“Ow!”

“There’s more,” Bobby said, and everyone quieted to listen. “’Please meet at the fireplace in one hour.’”

For a moment, no one spoke, and for the first time since the morning, it was completely silent.

“Shit.”

*********

An hour later, we were at the firepit, trying to remain relaxed as we waited for the text to come. This close to the end, we knew what was coming – another dumping. The question was, who?

_DING!_

Sharp breaths were inhaled as we looked around to see whose phone had gone off. Gary exhaled loudly as he stood up to read.

“’Islanders, the public have been voting. The couples with the fewest votes will be in danger of being dumped from the island. In no particular order, the couples that are safe are… Elisa and Marisol, Priya and Arjun, Chelsea and Gary, and Bobby and Josie.’”

Bobby squeezed my hand as our name was called.

_Thank god._

Another phone chimed, and Lucas cleared his throat. “’Shannon and Lucas, Lottie and Henrik. As you have received the fewest votes from the public, you are now vulnerable, and it is up to your fellow islanders to decide your fate. Please stand up in front of the firepit.’”

The rest of us groaned as we realized we would have to choose who would be leaving. The two couples got up from their seats, comforting each other as they walked around the firepit and stood facing us.

_DING!_

It was Marisol’s phone this time. “’In your couples, please briefly discuss which couple you would like to save. Once you have decided, please announce your decision and your reasoning.’”

“Fuck me,” Bobby mumbled under his breath.

My hands flew to cover my mouth as I looked at him in shock. It was bad enough to have to vote to dump someone, but to have to share it publicly? That was brutal.

“What are you thinking?” he asked quietly.

I looked over at the two couples. It would be bittersweet to see either of them leave. After our early troubles, I had become friends with Lottie, and I no longer bore any ill will towards Henrik for Casa Amor. He had given things a shot with Lottie, and while their relationship was rocky at times, they did seem to have feelings for each other. Lucas and Shannon, on the other hand, were clearly just a friendship couple. And there was still that nagging voice in the back of my mind that didn’t want to see him go.

_I can’t keep holding on, though. It’s not right._

I turned to Bobby. “Lucas and Shannon are just friends. It wouldn’t be right to save them.”

He nodded slowly, his hand stroking his chin. “But we have to give a reason for our choice. What do Lottie and Henrik have going for them? Do you think they’ll make it work?”

I sighed. “Honestly, I don’t think they’ll last more than two weeks outside the villa. But this is Love Island, and they’ve at least given it their best shot together. Lucas and Shannon are on borrowed time. Besides… Lucas is ready to leave. He told me yesterday he was considering leaving.”

Bobby raised his eyebrows. “Really?”

I nodded, but before I could say anything else, another text came in, signalling we were out of time, and it was time to reveal our votes.

One by one, the safe couples voted, and then it was our turn. Bobby stood up to speak for us, while I kept my eyes lowered. I couldn’t look up.

“First of all, we think both couples deserve to stay, and this was a tough decision. But only one of these couples is in a romantic relationship, so we think they deserve their chance to reach the final. The couple we’d like to save is Lottie and Henrik.”

He sat down again and picked up my hand, holding it between both of his.

Lottie and Henrik received the majority of votes and had therefore been saved. Shannon and Lucas had been dumped.

_DING!_

Shannon pulled out her phone, and her voice shook slightly as she read, “’Shannon and Lucas, your time on the island is now over. Please pack your things immediately. The rest of you, please stay seated at the firepit. You still have another decision to make.’”

“What?”

“But—”

“Oh no!”

“Guys, it’s okay,” Lucas said, holding his hands out in front of him. “Do what you need to do, and we’ll see you in a few minutes, alright?”

He put his arm around Shannon as the two of them walked away, out of the circle of light cast by the firepit. Henrik and Lottie made their way back to the bench, gripping each other’s hands tightly.

“So what are we supposed to do now?” Elisa asked.

_DING!_

“Nevermind,” she said as she picked up her phone. “’Islanders, each couple must secretly vote for one other couple that they think should be dumped from the island. You must now discuss in your couples who you’re going to choose and why. You must not discuss your decision with anyone else. The couples with the most votes risk being dumped from the island.’”

“Fuckin’ hell?”

“That’s crazy!”

_DING!_

“Now what?”

Priya’s hands shook as she picked up her phone. “’Priya and Arjun, as you won today’s challenge you have earned a special prize, but you will have to choose between a night in the hideaway and immunity from tonight’s vote. Please discuss between yourselves and reveal your choice.’”

“Fuck,” Arjun groaned as he tilted his head back, looking up into the dark sky.

“C’mon, babe,” Priya reached for his hand and pulled him up, “let’s get this over with.”

They walked a short ways away, just out of earshot as they whispered back and forth, Priya gesturing with her hands. When they came back, Arjun’s face was resolute, while Priya’s eyes glistened with emotion.

Arjun glanced at Priya, holding her hand tightly before addressing the group.

“We’ve decided to take the hideaway tonight. We don’t think it would be fair to get an automatic pass into the finals, not when there are so many deserving couples. And if it ends up being our last night, at least we’ll make it a good one, right?”

“TMI,” Chelsea whispered loudly.

“Thanks, guys,” Gary said. “That’s a right noble decision.”

“Aye,” Bobby nodded. “Now let’s get this vote done so we can move on with our evenings.”

He helped me up from my seat and led me to the swinging bench, where he put his arm around me as I leaned into him.

“So how do you wanna do this?” he asked. “Go through each couple and give pros and cons?”

“Priya and Arjun, and Chelsea and Gary are solid,” I replied. “We can’t vote for either of them.”

“So that leaves Lottie and Henrik, and Elisa and Marisol.”

I rested my head against his chest and sighed. “Elisa and Marisol are the better couple, but they’ve also given us a harder time.”

“But we should base it on who deserves to be there, right?”

I shrugged. “Didn’t the text just say who you want to dump?”

“Do you really want to dump them, though?”

“I don’t want to dump anyone.”

“Fair.”

“I guess… I figure Lottie and Henrik will get some votes from the others, they’re the obvious choice. We just had to save them from a public vote, so there’s a good chance they won’t survive another one.”

“True,” he nodded. “I think Elisa and Marisol are a good couple, though. When they’re not being catty.”

“Do you think there’s a chance they’re playing the game?”

“I don’t know… I don’t get that sense, but you never know.”

“Why don’t you pick?” I asked. “I feel like I’m too biased.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Just do whatever you feel is right.”

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and tapped at the screen. “Done.”

“Thank you.”

“Now let’s go say our goodbyes to Lucas and Shannon, shall we?”

We got up and joined the others, and soon Lucas and Shannon finished their packing and we all stood outside giving them our final goodbye hugs. I went up to Shannon and said a few words as I embraced her, then released her and found Lucas at my side.

He pulled me into a hug, and my heart twisted in my chest as I breathed in his warm, spicy scent and his arms wrapped themselves around me.

“Good luck,” he whispered, his voice sultry and deep. “I’ll see you on the outside.”

That was it. That was all he said before pulling away, but the tone of his voice held much more of a promise than the words alone conveyed. He winked at me as I stared wide-eyed back at him before he turned away to hug someone else.

Bobby’s hand found mine and I clutched it tightly, clinging to him for support.

Lucas and Shannon finished saying their goodbyes to the group and grabbed the handles of their suitcases.

“Good luck, everyone!” Shannon smiled and waved one last time before turning around.

“We’ll see you all soon,” Lucas said. His eyes flashed over to mine one more time before he, too, turned around and I was left to watch him walk down the villa drive for the second time in mere weeks.

Bobby squeezed my hand. “A little different than last time he left, innit?”

“Yeah,” I breathed out with a sigh, returning the squeeze. “Yeah, it is.”

“C’mon, let’s go back inside. Are you hungry? I could fix you a snack.”

I turned to smile up at him. “I’d like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos/comments are always loved and appreciated!


	41. Family Matters

The mood was sombre in the bedroom the next morning, as the islanders contemplated the previous night’s dumping and the knowledge that by the end of the night, another couple would be leaving. It could be any of us, and it was sobering to think that we could make it this far only to fall short right at the end.

“Hey,” Bobby whispered as he pulled the duvet over our heads. Neither of us was quite ready to face the day yet, choosing instead to take a few moments to ourselves. “How you feeling?”

I answered his question with a yawn, still exhausted from the previous day’s challenge on top of the cumulative effects of long, drama-filled days in the Spanish sun doing almost nothing. As much as Love Island sounded like a vacation, it really wasn’t. And while I wanted to make it through to the end, I also was feeling ready for this whole ordeal to be over.

I shuffled closer and he reached out to brush his thumb across my lips and cheek, his eyes soft as they followed the movements of his fingers. I closed the distance between our lips, my hand cupping his jaw as his trailed down to my waist, pulling me closer.

There was a quiet giggle followed by a soft thump as someone threw a pillow at us and it hit Bobby’s shoulder.

“Hey!” He pulled the duvet back down, twisting his neck to look around for the culprit. “Gary!”

Gary held up his hands in innocence. “Wasn’t me, bruv!”

Bobby’s eyes narrowed as he looked around until I took his chin between my fingers and pulled him back toward me, kissing him briefly before pulling away.

“C’mon, let’s get up,” I said as I threw my legs over the side of the bed.

He reluctantly followed and we went about our morning routines, then headed downstairs to the kitchen, where he whipped up a quick batch of pancakes for ourselves, Priya, and Arjun.

We tried to keep the conversation light as we ate, but inevitably the talk turned to the previous night’s vote.

“Last night was shit,” Arjun said after swallowing a bite of syrup-covered pancake.

“I know, I feel horrible about it,” Priya nodded.

“Yeah, it was mad,” I agreed. “I didn’t expect it at all. And I mean, who wants to sit there and say who deserves to be in the final and who doesn’t?”

“Right?” she threw her hands up. “We’re all in couples, we’ve all done what we needed to do. It’s not fair to make us choose.”

“The worst thing is knowing that a couple’s getting dumped tonight, and not having any idea who it’s gonna be. I feel like I can’t look anyone in the eye because of it.”

Bobby frowned as he slowly stirred his tea. “So many of us have been here since the beginning,” he said. “We’re all friends with each other.”

“If people are in here for the wrong reasons,” Arjun said, “they might vote tactically. Even the strongest couples are at risk.”

“I hope not,” I said. “I’d hate to think that anybody would be that cold. It shouldn’t be about the money.”

Bobby placed his hand on the small of my back and smiled at me. “Glad to hear you’re not just using me to win,” he winked.

I rolled my eyes and reached out to give his knee a light squeeze. “As if the public would vote for me to win anyway. I’m just surprised to still be here at all.”

“What?” Priya exclaimed. “I would totally vote for you!”

I shrugged. “No big deal, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we got some votes last night. Who knows, this could be our last day.”

I looked over at Bobby with a smile, but he was frowning into his mug.

“Don’t think like that,” Arjun said. “I’m sure—”

He was interrupted by the sound of his phone going off.

“Uh oh.”

He turned around towards the lawn and yelled out to everyone that he’d gotten a text.

“What is it?” Priya asked, craning her neck to see the screen as he swiped to unlock it.

“It’s—oh my god.” His hand came up to cover his mouth as he stared wide-eyed at the screen.

Priya leaned closer. “He got a family photo! Wait—” her jaw dropped. “That’s my sister! And my friend!”

“What?”

Bobby and I got up from our seats and rounded the table to look at the photo as the other islanders rushed over and crowded around.

“It’s your families?”

“They’re together! That’s so neat!”

The photo was of four people, an older couple whom I assumed were Arjun’s parents, and two glam-looking younger women, one of whom bore a striking resemblance to Priya.

“Wait… is that the front of the villa?”

Priya gasped and made a beeline for the villa. Just as she was approaching the door, it swung open and the people from the photo stepped outside. She squealed and threw her arms around the two young women as Arjun ran over and embraced the older couple.

“Oh my god!” Chelsea exclaimed as we watched the teary reunion. “Does this mean we’re all going to get visits from our families?”

Bobby’s face brightened and he grabbed my hand as he turned to me, his eyes sparkling. “Can you believe it? This is what I’ve been waiting for!”

A knot formed in my stomach as a weak smile crossed my face. He didn’t seem to notice, his attention already firmly fastened on our friends as they walked back to the group, ready to introduce us.

“Everyone, this is my sister Anusha and my friend Devi,” Priya grinned as she indicated each woman. “Anusha, Devi, this is, well, everyone!”

“And these are my parents, Rahul and Ayesha,” Arjun added.

Rahul looked like an older version of Arjun, the same cheeky smile lighting up his face as we each went over to greet them. Ayesha was shorter and stout, with a friendly face.

With group introductions out of the way, Priya and Arjun each pulled their respective visitors over to different areas of the villa, while the rest of us continued to hang out in the kitchen lounge, staying out of their way.

“I hope my nan comes in,” Gary said as he leaned back on one of the couches, his arm around Chelsea.

“Me too!” Lottie smiled. “We’ve heard so much about her, I need to know if she’s as scary as she sounds!”

“Oh, don’t remind me!” Chelsea groaned, covering her face with her hands. “I’m terrified!”

“You’ll be fine, Chels,” Gary squeezed her shoulder affectionately. “She’ll love you.”

“I just want to try her famous roast,” Elisa said.

“I wonder who’s coming in for me,” Lottie mused. “I can’t see my dad getting the time off to come all this way, but maybe my friends?”

There was a clamor of voices as everyone started talking at once, saying who they hoped or expected to see. I didn’t join in, instead folding my arms over my stomach and biting my lower lip as I worried about seeing Bobby’s family for the first time.

_They’re gonna hate me. I’ve messed up so many times; I’m not good enough for him. Oh god, this is going to be brutal._

“Hey.” Bobby’s voice brought me out of my thoughts as he nudged me. “You okay?”

I straightened and gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “Yeah, fine.”

“So who do you think is coming in for you?” he asked excitedly. “I hope it’s my parents. Or my sister. Or the boys from the hospital! That’d be grand!”

“I… I don’t know,” I frowned. “I haven’t really thought of it.”

_Probably Mum, right? I doubt Nan would take the trip from Ireland… and it’s unlikely Dad comes over from Canada… maybe one of my friends?_

I had a group of girlfriends from my university days I would occasionally get together with, but even then I wasn’t super close with any of them, not enough that I would expect any of them to come visit.

“What about your parents?” he asked as he placed a hand over mine and wrapped his other arm around my shoulders.

“Yeah, it’d be amazing if both of them could be here. I guess I just don’t want to get my hopes up, y’know?”

_Especially with all the dumb things I’ve said and done in here… what if they’re disappointed in me?_

“I’m sure it’ll be great, whoever comes in,” Bobby said, then gave me a peck on the cheek. “C’mon, we should probably do our washing up.”

He pulled me to my feet and we headed into the kitchen to clean up our breakfast dishes. From there we watched as Priya called Arjun and his parents over to the firepit, and the two families mingled together.

“Do you think your family will like me?” Bobby asked as he plunged his hands into the soapy water and pulled out a plate.

I stared at him in confusion. “Of course they will. Why wouldn’t they?”

He shrugged and began scrubbing the dish. “You seem a little off, so I thought maybe you were worried about it.”

For the first time that morning, I let out a genuine laugh. “Seriously? More like I’ve been worrying that _your_ family won’t like _me_.”

“What?” his face scrunched up. “What’s not to like?”

My head tilted as I looked at him incredulously. “Um, do I need to go back through my whole villa history and list all the reasons?”

“Phff! That’s all old news!”

“Bobby, it was only a few days ago that I kissed Lucas instead of you. It’ll be fresh in their memories. Plus they only see the edited bits, which probably make me look even worse.”

He reached out and grabbed my shoulders, turning me to face him. Soapy water dripped down my arms from his wet hands as he looked me in the eye. “Lass, stop worrying about that. If it’s no longer an issue for me, then it shouldn’t be for them. And if it is, I’ll sort them out. I promise.”

Smiling gratefully, I stepped forward and slid my hands up his chest until they curled around his neck. His hands trailed down my back and pulled me closer as he rested his forehead against mine, his warm breath ghosting upon my parted lips. He slid one of his legs between mine as he turned my body and pressed me up against the counter, dipping me back as his mouth captured mine.

“Okay guys, no need to fuck in the kitchen,” Priya’s voice sounded amused as she and Arjun came into the room, their families trailing behind.

“Like you guys did?” her sister smirked.

“Hey!” Priya whirled around and poked her index finger at the other girl. “That was supposed to be a secret!”

“Sure, a secret that the whole UK is in on.”

“Quiet! We don’t need everyone _here_ knowing!”

“Well, that’s it,” Bobby said, raising his hands in front of him. “I can’t cook in here anymore.”

“See what you’ve done?”

“Alright, alright!” Anusha laughed. “We’re going. It was nice meeting you guys!”

The visitors left, and Priya and Arjun filled us in on their visits. Although Priya’s conservative parents had refused to make the trip themselves on principal, they had been watching the show and were, for the most part, happy with the way their daughter had been conducting herself. And they were in love with Arjun, just as she had predicted.

Arjun’s parents were less strict and had supported him from the start. They quickly took to Priya, welcoming her with open arms.

“It couldn’t have gone any better!” she smiled widely.

We settled back into normal villa routine, but we were all on edge, sneaking glances at the door to see when the next family would come in.

A high-pitched squeal and a blur of pink signaled the next arrivals, as Chelsea dashed towards the door and threw herself into the arms of a blonde woman who looked just like her. She was accompanied by a young man who looked barely out of his teens, and was followed by a white-haired lady and a dark-haired man who looked to be in his twenties.

“Nan!”

Gary lumbered over and scooped the older woman into his arms, lifting her off her feet.

“Gary Joseph Rennell, you set me down this instant!”

His face flushed as he set her back down on the ground. “But Nan—”

“Is that any way to treat a lady, young man? Didn’t I teach you better than that?”

“Now, I know you miss me – you sure as hell talk about me enough, that’s a fact – but I’m too old to be swept off my feet, y’hear?”

“Yes, Nan,” he said sheepishly.

“Gary, quit bein’ rude and say hello to your friend, here,” she said, indicating the tall man beside her.

“Dicky!” The two men embraced.

“Now, where’s that young baker boy?” Nan asked as she squinted behind the lenses of her glasses, looking around the villa.

Bobby leaned over to me and whispered, “Does she mean me?”

“I think so,” I whispered back.

He stepped forward out of the group of us waiting to be introduced, and Nan’s eyes lit up as she saw him. She smiled and reached out her hands as he walked over to her, grabbing his cheeks and pulling him down into a triple-cheek kiss.

“You’re my favourite!” she beamed up at him.

“Who? Me?” Bobby asked bewilderedly, pointing at his chest.

“Yes, of course you, silly billy, is there someone else standing in front of me that I might be talking to?”

“Well, geez, thanks!” he puffed out his chest as he grinned proudly.

“Don’t you be gettin’ too big for your britches, though, y’hear me?”

“Yes ma’am!”

“Good. Now I brought a little something for you that you can share with everyone else.” She leaned towards him conspiratorially and put her hand over her mouth as she whispered, “Just don’t show Gary!”

“I heard that, Nan!”

“Oh, alright!” Bobby smiled down at her, as Gary huffed and raised his arms in frustration.

She shuffled off back towards the villa, and Chelsea took the opportunity to introduce us to her mother, Portia, and younger brother, Edwin. She and her mother looked like they could be twins, save for a few extra laugh lines around Portia’s eyes and mouth. Edwin seemed a bit aloof and unenthusiastic, although he was definitely sneaking a few looks at Priya when he thought nobody was looking.

“Here we go!” Nan exclaimed as she came back carrying a Tupperware container, which she thrust into Bobby’s hands. She winked at him. “You just make sure everyone gets their share, alright?”

“What is it?” Bobby asked.

“Oh, just a little something my grandson seems to have made famous while he’s been in here.”

Gary’s eyes grew wide. “Wait, Nan, is that – is that your roast?”

He reached a hand towards the container, only to earn a swift slap from his nan.

“Yes, Gaz, it is—”

“Did you just call me Gaz?”

“—but I gave it to Bobby and you’re just gonna have to wait for it!” She curled her hand around his arm and pulled him away. “Come, now, we don’t have all day. Give me one of your tours, and then I need to meet your young lady.”

“Yes, Nan!”

They walked into the villa, followed by Dicky, as Chelsea led her family over to the firepit. When they were all out of earshot, the rest of us burst into laughter.

“She’s just like I imagined!” Lottie exclaimed.

“I almost peed myself when she looked at me!” Henrik grimaced.

“I need to know if that roast is as good as Gary claims,” I said. I reached for the container, but Bobby pulled it out of my reach.

“Nope!” he said, “not yet! We’ll have it for lunch.”

“Aww, Bobs!” Arjun complained. “Let us have a taste!”

“Aren’t you vegetarian?” Bobby threw back at him.

“Fine, but can’t we smell it, then?”

Bobby gently eased the corner of the lid off the container and lifted it to his nose, breathing in deeply.

“Oh, yeah,” he smiled, closing his eyes. “That’s good.”

We passed the container around, each of us agreeing that it smelled amazing, and then Bobby put it in the fridge, hiding it near the back so Gary couldn’t find it.

Gary, Nan, and Dicky came out of the villa soon afterwards and after a brief tour around the outside, they headed towards the firepit to join Chelsea’s family. Soon enough it was time for them to leave, and Nan made sure to go around to each person and pinch their cheek before she left. When she got to Bobby, he turned his cheek towards her only to have her reach around him and pinch his arse cheek instead.

“Nan!” Gary gasped, as Bobby blushed.

“Oh, stop being such a prude, Gary!” she turned and wagged her finger at him. “I heard how many girls you’ve slept with, don’t think I wasn’t watching! Fred Flintstone, my arse!”

Gary’s face turned red as she continued.

“I may be an old woman, and my prescription might be strong, but I ain’t blind yet, and this here Bobby’s got one of the nicest arses I’ve ever seen, so you can hardly blame me for wanting to get a feel of it, can you?”

Gary merely turned redder as he pursed his lips, shocked into speechlessness.

“I thought not! Now come on, Dicky, there’s a hot tub back at the hotel that’s calling my name!”

Dicky cleared his throat. “Yes, ma’am!” He turned to the rest of us and waved as he followed her, with Chelsea’s mom and brother trailing close behind.

Once again, the group let out the laughter we’d been stifling.

I moved beside Bobby and cupped his bum with my hand, squeezing slightly. “She’s right, y’know,” I said with a smirk as I looked up at him. “You really do have a great arse.”

Bobby smiled back at me as he copied the gesture. “So do you.”

“Oh, I’m well aware,” I grinned.

He rolled his eyes. “Sheesh, can’t even give you a compliment.”

The day continued, as Elisa’s parents and Marisol’s mother and brother came into the villa next, and things settled down a bit. Afterwards, we sat down to lunch and ate the roast, which we all agreed was about as good as Gary had hyped it up to be.

With each family that came in, my nerves had been steadily growing, and I kept glancing towards the villa, hoping to finally see someone I recognized walking through. I didn’t want to be the last ones to receive a visit. I was almost starting to worry nobody would come at all.

I caught movement out of the corner of my eye, and turned my head to see four men walk through the villa door. My heart sank as I realized the first two were clearly related to Henrik, meaning Bobby and I would have to wait until the end.

Henrik’s brothers were tall and blond, and came bounding into the villa with a ton of energy, just like their brother. Henrik whooped and ran towards them, followed closely by Lottie, who flung her arms around the neck of one of the other men.

“Rob!” she cried out, then reached out to pull the other man into the hug. “Bruce!”

“Guess we’re last, then,” Bobby said as he grabbed my hand and pulled me up so we could go meet them.

“Josie!” one of the Swedes grinned as he saw me approach.

I smiled and extended my hand for a handshake, but he surprised me by pulling me into a hug instead, lifting me off my feet. When he lowered me to the ground, he draped his arm over my shoulders.

“My little brother was a right stupid idiot to let you go free,” he said with a wink. “Maybe you’d like to try with one of the other Bergström brothers instead, eh?”

“Magnus!” Henrik warned, and Magnus squeezed my shoulder, keeping me in place.

“What’s wrong, brother? Just because you don’t know a good thing when you find it doesn’t mean the rest of us are blind! What were you thinking picking that Blake chick over this hottie right here?”

Bobby cleared his throat, but Henrik beat him to it.

“She’s with Bobby, man!”

“Ehh, Bobby, you don’t mind if I steal your girl, do you?”

“Well, actually—”

“Sorry, Magnus, is it?” I extricated myself out from under his arm and moved over to Bobby, sliding my arm around his waist. “I’m actually quite happy with Bobby, thanks.”

Magnus shrugged. “Well if you ever change your mind, come find me, yeah? Hell, Bobby can come, too!”

Bobby made a little choking noise and stared at the blond man. “I, um, uh—”

The other brother clapped his hand on Bobby’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, he’s only joking. Partially, at least.”

“Oh, good,” Bobby’s shoulders dropped in relief. “Wait, which part is he joking about?”

The man just smirked at him and joined his brothers as they walked to the outdoor lounge to catch up.

Lottie quickly introduced us to her friends Rob and Bruce, who had flown in all the way from Australia, before pulling them over to the firepit.

“Well, that was interesting,” Bobby said as we dropped onto one of the daybeds. He pulled me against him, and I snuggled into his side. “I’m not sure I like Henrik’s brothers, though.”

I chuckled. “You’re not jealous, are you?”

“Me?” he pointed at his chest and scoffed. “Okay, maybe. But only if you were jealous of Gary’s nan when she pinched my wonderful bum.”

I laughed and shifted so I could give him a quick peck on the lips. “Y’know, something told me you wouldn’t leave me for her, so no, I wasn’t all that jealous.”

He grinned and leaned his head forward to capture my mouth with his, keeping it light and tender rather than deep and passionate. He broke away and caressed my cheek with the back of his fingers, then leaned back against the pillows.

“There’s something I wanted to ask you about, if that’s alright with you,” he said as he stared up at the canopy above us.

I frowned, sensing a change in his mood and uncertain where he was going with this. “Um, sure, what is it?”

“This morning at breakfast, you said you thought it might be our last day here.”

“I mean, yeah, it could be. It could be anyone’s.”

He rolled onto his side to face me and propped his head up on his elbow. “But you think people would have voted for us?”

I turned towards him and hugged the pillow under my head. “Maybe. Marisol and Elisa might have, and who knows who Lottie and Henrik voted for. Why?”

“I just was wondering…” he broke off with a frown and lowered his eyes, taking a moment before speaking again. “I thought maybe you didn’t think we’re a strong enough couple to make the final.”

“The other couples have all been together longer than we have. I don’t think Lottie and Henrik are strong, so it’s basically a coin toss between us.”

“We’ve been together just as long as Elisa and Marisol have.”

“Yeah, but they were a romantic couple right from the start. We were still just friends. Not to mention the whole Lucas situation kinda messed things up.”

He reached out and took my hand, curling his fingers between mine and straightening them again. “Do you think… how do you think we come across to the others? And to the public?”

I intertwined our fingers and clutched his hand tight between us. “In what way?”

“Like, do we seem like a committed couple?”

“It’s hard to know what the public would think since they only see snippets. Who knows how things get edited—”

He sighed, and I broke off with a frown. His eyes were lowered again, not meeting mine, and he was chewing his bottom lip between his teeth. I gave his hand a squeeze and waited for him to speak.

“I guess what I’m really trying to get at,” he finally said, “is how committed are you to this? To us? I mean, yeah, you picked me at the recoupling, and you sleep with me, but…”

My mouth opened and closed again, nothing coming out as I tried to figure out how to respond. It wasn’t a question I could just answer offhand, and I didn’t want to simply tell him what he wanted to hear and leave it at that.

“YO, JOSIE! BOBBY!” Magnus’s voice boomed across the villa and I breathed a small sigh of relief at the interruption. “Come give me a kiss goodbye!”

I looked over my shoulder at the group as they got up from the lounge and headed back towards the villa, and raised my index finger to indicate we’d be right there, then I turned back to Bobby.

“Let’s talk about this later, okay? I… I need to get myself sorted out before giving you a proper answer, and our families will be here soon…”

“Yeah, sure,” he said with a frown, and I could tell he was disappointed that I wasn’t able to give him the reassurance he was looking for.

We headed over to the crowd of people on the deck as Henrik and Lottie hugged their visitors one last time.

Magnus winked at me over Henrik’s shoulder. “Josie! Call me up when you’re done with that one, eh?”

I shook my head with a laugh and reached for Bobby’s hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. “No promises.”

Magnus just laughed and held up his hand with his thumb and pinky finger extended, mouthing the words “call me” before making his way towards the villa door with his brother and Lottie’s friends.

“That was amazing!” Lottie grinned widely as she turned back to us. “I can’t believe the guys came all the way from Australia!”

“And Sweden!” Henrik added.

Priya turned to me and gave me a nudge. “You guys are next. How are you feeling?”

“Nervous,” I replied honestly. “Excited. Petrified.”

She laughed and gave my arm a light squeeze. “I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

“I think the waiting might be the hardest part.”

“Not much longer, though,” she smiled.

It felt like forever. With no clocks in the villa, we had very little sense of the passage of time, and the minutes stretched into what felt like hours as I lay stretched across one of the daybeds with Priya and Arjun, while Bobby paced on the deck beside us.

It was hard watching the other couples and listening to them gush about their visits while we were still waiting. Bobby kept going on about all the different people he couldn’t wait to see, while I just sat there imagining all the nightmare scenarios in which they would tell me they didn’t like me. And wondering who would show up to see me.

As Bobby reached the edge of the deck and was about to turn, a loud female voice called out.

“BOBBY MCKENZIE!”

With a gasp, he turned around, his face brightening as a wide smile flashed across it, and he dashed across the deck and out of sight from where I sat.

“MUM! AMELIA!”

The knot in my stomach tightened near to bursting as I listened to his happy reunion.

“Aren’t you gonna go see who’s here for you?” Priya asked gently.

I nodded and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as I sat up and dangled my legs over the side. I looked up to see Bobby embracing a tall Caucasian man with salt-and-pepper hair – and my eyes suddenly welled up with tears as I recognized him.

_Dad!_

I stood up, and on shaky, wooden legs I started towards them, watching as they separated and Bobby turned to look for me, pointing in my direction and waving his hand for me to quicken my pace. I barely trusted myself to make it there without tripping, but the sight of my father’s kind and encouraging eyes kept me going and soon I was throwing my arms around him, breathing in his familiar citrus and ginger scent and feeling his strong hands hold me tight.

His voice was soothing in my ear, his fingers gently stroked my hair, and eventually I realized I was spilling my tears all over his clean shirt.

I pulled away and smiled up at him, blinking away the moisture in my eyes as I raised my hands to his cheek, feeling his stubble under my palms as I traced the lines of his jaw.

“You came,” I said breathily, and he nodded with a tender, fatherly smile.

“Of course I did. You’re my little girl.”

I looked around him to see who was with him, but nobody else was there.

“Mum—?”

“I’m sorry, love. I talked to her this morning, she said she couldn’t make it but sends her love.”

“Oh.” I frowned in disappointment and he pulled me into another hug. I held on tight until Bobby cleared his throat and tapped on my shoulder.

“Lass, come meet my mum and sister.”

I pulled away reluctantly, leaving my father free to meet the other islanders as I nervously turned to Bobby’s family.

“Josie, this is my mum Aileen, and my sister Amelia.”

“Hi, it’s nice to finally meet you both,” I said somewhat shyly.

They each gave me friendly smiles and light hugs, but I had a hard time reading them, their smiles not lighting up their eyes the way Bobby’s always did. The slightly aloof manner of their greetings didn’t help dispel my nerves.

_They hate me._

Bobby pulled his visitors over to the outdoor lounge, so I led my father to the firepit.

“So this is where all the action happens, eh?” he asked as he sat down and patted the space beside him.

I took a seat in the indicated spot and turned to face him.

“Do you—are you—have you been watching the show?”

Suddenly all the memories of everything I’d done in the last few weeks came rushing into my mind, and I wondered how much he’d seen. Especially the naughty bits, and my cheeks warmed as I blushed.

“I haven’t been able to watch all of it, of course,” he replied, “but I’ve seen enough to know that I’m proud of you.”

“Really?” My voice was quiet, almost small, as the word squeaked out.

“Yes, really.” He placed his hand over mine on the bench between us. “I think you’ve grown a lot from this experience. You might’ve had a couple errors in judgement along the way, but it’s how you’ve responded to them that’s made me proud of you.”

“You’re proud of me?”

“Of course I am, sweetheart.” He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close, and I rested my head on his shoulder. “You owned up to your mistakes, you stood up for yourself, and you never quit. And now here you are, just a day away from the final with a great guy at your side.”

I smiled at that. “So you like Bobby, then?”

“Who doesn’t like Bobby?” he laughed. “I think he’s great.”

I shifted in my seat so I could face him. “So you think I made the right choice?”

“What, between him and Lucas?”

I nodded, and he gazed across the lawn to where Bobby was talking animatedly with his sister.

“Based on what I’ve seen, Lucas seems like a good guy, and if you really liked him, I think he would’ve been a sound choice. But Josie, he never made your face light up the way Bobby does. I understand you’ve been having trouble letting go, but I think you liked the idea of Lucas more than you ever liked the man himself.”

“Really?”

He nodded, and I could see the sincerity in his pale blue eyes.

I thought back to my interrupted conversation with Bobby earlier, about whether we were a committed couple.

“Dad, do you think Bobby and I could work? As a couple?”

He raised his eyebrows. “Are you worried about that?”

I bit my bottom lip and nodded. “I just… I guess I’m scared. Scared of things not working out and losing him as a friend, scared of the distance, scared of—”

“Hey, kiddo,” he interrupted. He wrapped his arms around me, and I relaxed into him. “Every relationship has the potential to not work out, but they’re worth it, trust me. You need to let your fears go and let yourself love.”

“But I—”

“No buts,” he said as he pulled away and patted my knee. “You should talk with Bobby about your concerns. He deserves to know if there’s anything holding you back from giving it one hundred percent with him, and you can work through it together. Communication is the most important part of making a relationship work.”

“Is that why you and mum didn’t work?”

He smiled sadly. “That was a big part of it, yes.”

“Do you… have you ever regretted your relationship with her? If you could go back, knowing what you know now, would you still do it?”

He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ears, caressing my cheek with the backs of his fingers as he did. “I’ve never regretted it, and would absolutely do it again. Because even with all the pain we went through, we were given you, and you’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”

My eyes blurred and I wrapped my arms around him again. I had been so worried about how today’s visits would go, but it turned out this was exactly what I needed.

“You ready for us, lass?”

I pulled away from my father and turned to find Bobby standing by the firepit, head tilted and eyes squinting a bit, looking a little hesitant to interrupt.

“Yeah, sure,” I smiled.

I wiped the remaining moisture from my eyes as Bobby called his family over to join us.

“All good?” Bobby asked as he sat next to me and draped his arm across the bench behind me.

“Yeah, just a little emotional, that’s all.”

“So, Bobby,” my father said as we waited for the women to walk over, “what are your intentions towards my daughter?”

Bobby’s eyes widened. “Oh, um, I—"

“Don’t worry, kid, I’m just joking,” he smiled, and Bobby sighed in relief. He stood as Bobby’s mother and sister arrived and shook their hands. “Hello again. Why don’t you sit here next to Josie so you can get to know her, and I’ll sit by Bobby?”

Bobby’s mum smiled. “Thank you.”

The two women sat in his vacated space as he moved over to the other side of Bobby, and the two of them quickly struck up a conversation, leaving me to chat with Bobby’s family.

His mum turned to me with that same polite smile she gave me earlier.

“So, Josie,” she said, “what was it you do again?”

_Really? That information is publicly available in my profile, and that’s what she goes with?_

“I’m an architect,” I replied politely. “I work for a firm in London.”

“Right, of course! And do you enjoy it?”

“I do. It’s a tough job, but it gives me a creative outlet as well as an intellectual one.”

“And do you plan to go back to it once you’re out of here?”

“I’d like to,” I said. “I’m not sure yet how things are going to go once this is over, though, as far as other opportunities.”

Amelia leaned forward and cut in. “And where does my brother fit in?”

_And there it is._

I glanced over at Bobby, who was laughing at something my father had said, and my heart skipped a beat as a feeling of warmth rushed over me. I smiled as I turned back to his sister.

“We haven’t really talked much about the future yet, so I can’t say for certain, but I know I at least want to give us a shot.”

She raised an eyebrow, seemingly unconvinced. “Look, I don’t want to sound rude—”

“Amelia…” her mother warned.

“—but I’m just looking out for my brother here. Is he really the one you want, or are you just playing a game for the sake of the show?”

_Straight out with it. I respect that, at least._

I paused to collect my thoughts and took a deep breath. “I’m not playing a game. I really do like your brother. I know I shouldn’t have kissed Lucas; I’ll own up to that mistake, but I can see why you would think I’m just messing around with his feelings, and for that I’m sorry. I understand if you don’t trust my motives – in your shoes I probably wouldn’t, either – but I promise that the last thing I want to do is break his heart.”

Her head tilted slightly as she gazed back at me with pursed lips, as if she were trying to determine the sincerity of my response. I stared back boldly, not backing down from her apprehensive gaze.

She finally sighed and gave a short, almost imperceptible nod. “Fine, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. But if you ever hurt him—”

“You’ll kill me and make it look like an accident,” I said, raising my hands in front of me in mock surrender. “I know. I would deserve it.”

The corners of her lips twitched, the beginnings of a smile starting to form on her face. She visibly relaxed, her eyes softening. “Great. Now that we understand each other, we can get to know one another better. What are some of your hobbies?”

I felt like I had just passed a major exam, and relief washed over me as we settled into a friendlier conversation. My father and Bobby turned to join us and we chatted as a group for a short while, until Bobby received a text signalling our time was up.

We stood and made our way up the deck as the other islanders joined us to say our final goodbyes. I gave Aileen and Amelia each a quick hug as Bobby and my father shook each other’s hands, then turned to give my dad a big hug.

I held on tight, wishing he didn’t have to leave as his hand stroked the back of my head, just like he’d done so many times when I was a child.

“I’ll see you again before you go back home, right?” I mumbled into his chest.

“I promise. I’ll be there at the finale.”

“Good.”

“And Josie?”

“Yeah?”

“Make sure you bring Bobby with you when you come home for Christmas.”

I smiled as I released him and took a step back. “I’ll do my best.”

“Good,” he winked. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Bobby’s arm slid around my waist as we waved to our departing families, and I suddenly felt homesick and oh-so-ready for our time in the villa to finally be over.

_DING!_

“Uh oh.”

“I got a text!”

We turned to the rest of the group and waited for Marisol to read the text out. She smiled as she looked down at the screen before looking up at Elisa excitedly.

“Well, what is it?”

“’Islanders,’” she read, “’Please get yourselves ready and meet at the front of the villa for your last Love Island dates! #datesallfolks #putintheeffort’”

“Oh my god yes! Dates!”

Bobby leaned towards me, his breath ghosting against my skin as he whispered in my ear, “Last one to get ready buys the other one dinner!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, I kind of really want Josie to run away with Magnus 💀


	42. Final Dates

I stood in front of a full-length mirror in the dressing room and gazed back at my reflection. My hair flowed over my shoulders in waves, and my makeup was flawless, thanks to the hairstylists and makeup artists that had been brought in for the occasion. The final dates were a big event, and the producers wanted to make sure we looked our best.

The dressing room had been a hectic mess as recently as a few minutes earlier, but the other girls had already been sent out, leaving Priya and I as the last ones left. It was nice to have a brief moment of peace after all the chaos.

I smoothed my hands over the ruched folds of my slate blue dress and turned slightly, looking over my shoulder at my profile in the mirror. It was a form-fitting one-shoulder dress with a single three-quarter length sleeve and fell just below the knee. It could almost be considered conservative, but the way it fell and hugged every curve made it anything but.

“Oh, yeah,” Priya smiled appreciatively as she openly checked me out, “that’s sexy. Bobby’s gonna love it.”

“Do you think?”

“Well, _I_ love it, and I’m not the one that looks at you like he wants to rip your clothes off every time he sees you.”

“He doesn’t—”

“Yes, he does. You just don’t always see it because you’re oblivious.”

“I am not.”

“Yes, you are. Now, how do I look?” Priya spun around to show off her long, fire engine red evening dress, which flared out at the bottom as she rotated. She stopped to face me and posed with her hand on her hip. The dress clung to her tightly, with a deep V neckline that showed off her greatest assets to full effect.

“And you said I’m sexy? You’re putting me to shame.”

“Good,” she smirked. “Now, let’s get out of here, yeah?”

She grabbed me by the hand and together we left the dressing room and headed down the stairs to the foyer where Bobby and Arjun were waiting for us. They both turned at the sound of our heels on the stairs, their eyes lighting up with approval.

Bobby held out his hand as I reached the last steps and I placed mine in his, giving him a shy smile. He leaned towards me, giving me a quick peck on the cheek before brushing his lips against my ear.

“You look amazing,” he said in a low voice.

“Thanks,” I whispered back. “So do you.”

He really did, wearing a neatly pressed, light salmon button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal a darker salmon on the inside of the cuffs. The shirt was partially tucked into a pair of well-fitting white trousers that my eyes might have lingered on for a few extra seconds before he nudged me with a knowing smirk.

“Shall we?” he asked.

“Let’s go.”

We headed outside to a waiting vehicle, and when we reached our destination Bobby told me to wait while he rushed around the car to my side and opened my door for me. I took his offered hand, stepped out of the vehicle, and kissed him softly, taking care not to smudge my lipstick.

“Where are we?” I asked as I looked around. “This can’t be where our date is, can it?”

He stepped aside and pointed to a helicopter that had been hidden from my view. “I think that’s our date.”

My jaw dropped. “A helicopter? That’s so cool!”

“Not bad for a first date, huh?” He grinned. “I sure know how to impress a girl. Makes me feel like Rahim.”

I laughed and swatted his arm. “Okay, hotshot.”

We headed over to the helicopter excitedly and got strapped into our seats. Soon we were taking off and were given a tour of the Mallorcan coastline that left us breathless. The sun was setting over the ocean, washing the landscape in shades of red and gold. It was stunning.

The helicopter landed near the ocean and we were led to a picnic that had been set up for us on a large flat rock, mere steps away from the water.

“Wow,” Bobby breathed as we sat down on the blanket, looking out at the ocean and the sunset. “I think this is the nicest date I’ve ever been on.”

“Same,” I nodded. “Between the helicopter and this view, I don’t know how you top this.”

He sighed. “This is gonna be a tough act to follow.”

“Let’s see, how about a yacht next week,” I teased, “a private jet the following week, and then a trip to Greece after that?”

“I’m not Lucas.”

I leaned over and cupped his face as I turned it towards me and drew him in for a slow, soft kiss.

“I don’t need you to be,” I whispered, and his lips pressed harder against mine in response.

His arms wrapped around me as he pulled me closer to him, and I let my fingers weave through his locs. My lips parted and his tongue slid over mine, the lingering taste of toothpaste still evident. I sighed happily into his mouth, and as we drew apart, he smiled, his eyes reflecting back the glow of the sunset.

I pulled away and sat back, suddenly speechless as I gazed at him. He didn’t seem to notice as he discovered the picnic hamper set out for us and pulled it towards him.

“So, what have we got here?” Bobby asked as he opened the lid. “Do you want a glass of champagne?

He pulled out a pair of champagne flutes and handed them to me, then reached back into the basket for the bottle. He popped it open and the froth bubbled over the side of the bottle.

“Oops!” he said, then he licked up the neck of the bottle, catching the bubbles as I shook my head and laughed at him. He poured us each a glass, then lifted his in a toast. “Cheers to a perfect date, and to finally getting some alone time.”

“Cheers.”

“So how was it meeting my mom and sister?” he asked. “We haven’t had a chance to talk about that yet, and I know you were worried about it.”

“It was better than I expected—”

“I told you it would be fine.”

“But it was definitely awkward at first.” I tapped my fingernails against the side of the glass as I stared into the bubbly liquid. “They’re worried about me.”

“Worried how?”

“Your sister asked if I was playing a game.”

“She shouldn’t hav—”

“No, Bobby,” I held my finger against his lips to stop him. “It’s alright. It’s no more than I expected, and I don’t blame them for not trusting me. They’re just looking out for you. So yeah, it was a little cold and tense at first, but once I told them I wasn’t messing around, they were a lot friendlier.”

“Still, they should have been friendlier from the start.”

“And play pretend?” I shook my head. “No, it’s better that we got it all out. But how did you like my dad?”

Bobby’s face lit up. “He’s great! I didn’t realize he’d be so cool!”

I laughed. “Yeah, he is pretty great. I miss him.”

“You lived with your mum after the divorce, right?”

“Yeah, they felt it made more sense for me to be with her, but I’m a daddy’s girl at heart. I loved spending the holidays with him.”

“I can see why. It’s too bad your mum couldn’t make it, though.”

I nodded and turned my head to look out over the water, trying to hide my frown. It was frustrating that my dad had been able to make it from Canada, and Lottie’s friends from Australia, but my mom couldn’t even find the time to come over from London. My dad hadn’t offered an excuse, which made me think that whatever her reasons, they weren’t great. Maybe she hadn’t expected us to make it through the previous night’s dumping and didn’t want to waste the trip?

Bobby dug into the basket again, and we spent some time eating the provided appetizers as we chatted more about the family visits and the last few days, keeping the conversation light.

As the basket emptied and Bobby poured out the last of the champagne, I knew it was time to bring up the commitment issue again.

I cleared my throat. “So, Bobby…”

He looked up at me over the rim of his glass. “Mmhmm?”

“Earlier today you asked about my level of commitment.”

He set the cup down and looked at me earnestly, waiting for me to continue.

“I have a bad habit of jumping into things pretty quick – like sleeping with you right away after I said I liked you – and then freaking out when things start to get serious.”

He swallowed and licked his lips, and I could tell he was nervous with where this was headed.

“The thing is, I haven’t had any long-term relationships before. Partly because they scare me, and partly because I just haven’t been in love with anyone, at least not enough to try to keep it going. So, when you asked me if I was committed to us, I freaked out a bit.”

I looked down at my hands, realizing I was nervously kneading them. I wiped them on my dress and took a breath before planting a smile on my face and looking back up.

“When I was talking with my dad, he said that I should open up to you and we could work through it together. So that’s what I want to do.” I looked up, blinking back moisture from my eyes as I gazed into his, and took a deep breath before continuing, “I really like you, Bobby. It scares me how much I do, because it means that it’ll hurt more if we fail. But I want to try to make this work. To make _us_ work.”

His amber eyes were glassy as he reached out for my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine. He lifted our joined hands to his lips, pressing a kiss against my skin that made my heart flutter.

“Do you really mean it?” he whispered.

“ _Yes_ , of course I do.”

He shifted closer and reached for me, pulling me against him as he covered my mouth with his. His warm, spicy scent enveloped me as I tasted the champagne on his tongue and felt his heart beating wildly against mine. My arms curled around his neck as I leaned back, until we were lying on the ground, tangled together. His hand travelled down my back and cupped my ass, squeezing gently as I smiled against his lips.

He whined as I broke off the kiss, tilting his head towards me to follow my lips, until I placed a finger over his mouth.

“If we keep going, we’re going to end up naked,” I murmured.

“Is that such a bad thing?” He ground his hips, pushing his hard length against me, sending a shiver up my spine and evoking a moan from my lips.

I pressed my hand on his chest. “No, but we _are_ on camera right now, on a beach, with a helicopter not far away ready to take us back.”

Bobby sighed, trailing his fingers up and down my back and along the exposed skin of my arm. “Fine… but we’re resuming this later.”

“I can’t wait.”

He sat up and pulled me with him. I moved between his legs, and he wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder as I leaned back against his chest. We looked out over the ocean, watching a small yacht lazily floating by.

“See?” I pointed to the boat. “Good thing we’re not getting frisky right now.”

He chuckled and kissed my cheek. “I dunno, I can think of worse things than being seen by some randoms. Give them a show.”

“What if it’s one of the other couples?”

He thought about it for a minute before shrugging. “As long as you’re screaming my name, who cares who sees or hears?”

I laughed. “I’d rather it not be people that we live with, thanks.”

“Eh, it’s just one more day,” he smirked, and I shook my head with a chuckle.

I shifted slightly in his arms so I could turn my head and look at him. “Back to serious topics—”

“What? Serious? Me?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, you. I talked about my lack of past relationships, but what about you? Any skeletons in the closet I need to be aware of?”

“I might have a model dinosaur skel—ow! Okay, fine. I’ve had a couple.”

“Skeletons?” I smirked as I leaned back into him and faced the water.

He laughed and gave me a slight squeeze. “Now who’s not being serious? Nah, I’ve had a few girlfriends.”

“For how long?”

“One lasted about a year, but there have been a few short-term ones. Eventually they decide we’re better off as friends.”

“They decide?”

“Well, sometimes, yeah. Other times it’s mutual, we just kind of come to the realization that we’re not suited to be a romantic couple.”

“That surprises me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, you seem like the romantic type, if you really like a girl.”

“I guess. Maybe that was my problem, then.”

“Not liking them enough?”

“Yeah. Treating them more as friends than lovers.”

“I suppose that makes two of us, then,” I said. “Not being invested enough in our past relationships to fight to keep them going.” I frowned, wondering if our own relationship was doomed from the start.

As if sensing my thoughts, he brought a hand to my face and turned it towards his own so he could look into my eyes.

“It doesn’t have to be that way this time,” he said softly. “It may not always be easy, but if we want to make this work, we can. I know we can.”

I smiled back at him and cupped his jaw, brushing my thumb over his lips as he closed his eyes and pressed his cheek closer against my hand.

“I don’t want it to be easy, Bobby,” I finally said. “If it were easy, it wouldn’t be us.”

He chuckled, and his eyes lowered to my lips before flicking back up to my eyes. “You’re gonna keep me on my toes, aren’t you?”

“You’re damn right.”

He closed the gap between us, and as his mouth pressed against mine, my body filled with warmth despite the cool breeze coming off the water. For the first time, I felt like maybe I could do this. Maybe I had finally found something worth fighting for.

*********

The date over, we walked back into the villa hand-in-hand to find that the other couples had already returned. Priya quickly grabbed me to join the girls on the roof terrace, while Bobby headed to the firepit to chat with the other boys.

We entered the terrace as Elisa and Marisol were discussing their date, which was in an ornate banquet hall lined with lots of candles. A live string quartet had provided background music during their meal, and Marisol had been thrilled when they got to dance on the huge dance floor. Elisa called it “the most romantic date ever,” and Marisol quickly agreed, her eyes shining as she smiled at her partner.

Lottie and Henrik’s date had been similar, but in a lush green garden and with a harpist instead of a quartet.

“Did you dance?” Marisol asked.

“A little bit,” Lottie replied. “But when Henrik requested the harpist play an ABBA song, I put a stop to it. ABBA’s great for karaoke and long road trips, but _not_ for romantic dates.”

“But I love ‘Dancing Queen’!” Chelsea exclaimed. “I would’ve loved to dance to that on our date!”

“What did you guys do?” Priya prompted her.

“We went on a boat! Or wait, what was it that Gary called it? Not a ship…”

“A yacht?” I offered.

“Yes! That’s the one! We went on a yacht – it was a small one, though, and we just sat on the front of it while it took us around the coast! And then it took us to a floating gazebo by the beach, and we had dinner there!”

“That sounds lush!”

“It was!”

Chelsea babbled on for a bit, then turned to me.

“What about yours, Josie?”

They oohed and aahed as I told them about the helicopter ride and the picturesque setting by the ocean. When they pressed me for details on how the date itself had gone, I just told them that we’d had good discussions about our past and that we both wanted to pursue something outside of the villa.

“That’s so exciting!” Chelsea exclaimed.

“I’m so happy for you!” Priya squealed as she leaned over to give me a hug.

“And what about you and Arjun?” I asked when we separated. “You haven’t told us about your date yet.”

She sat back and grinned.

“It was unreal,” she said. “It was some sort of courtyard with a huge fountain, acrobats on an aerial hoop, and a massive white grand piano. There was this red ambient lighting that gave it such a romantic feel, you wouldn’t even imagine.”

“That sounds beautiful.”

“Did you dance?” Marisol asked.

“Yeah, a little slow dance at the end,” Priya smiled. “Nothing on your level, of course.”

“Did Arjun put his Bollywood moves on you?” Elisa asked with a laugh.

“Oh, yeah,” Priya smirked, looking like the cat that swallowed a canary. “All the moves, it was great.”

I narrowed my eyes, staring at her suspiciously. “There’s something you’re not telling us. Spill the deets!”

A wide grin spread across her face as she sat back looking downright giddy. “I told him I love him.”

The girls all squealed and burst into a million questions.

“How did it happen?”

“What did he say?”

“Did he say it back?”

She held her hands up to quiet us down so she could speak. “It was at the end of dinner, and it just slipped out, but it felt right in the moment. And he said it back!”

More shrill squeaks, even higher pitched this time, accompanied by a waving of hands as the girls voiced their elation.

“Wait, there’s more!” Priya squealed excitedly. “He asked me to be his girlfriend!”

The squeals turned to full-on screams as we all surrounded Priya and gave her hugs.

“You’re a proper couple now!”

“I’m so happy for you both!”

When the chaos and excitement died down, Arjun yelled up at us from the lawn.

“HEY! I HEARD ALL THAT YELLING! COME DOWN SO WE CAN CELEBRATE PROPER!”

We all laughed and as we stood to head back downstairs, I wrapped my arms around Priya.

“Congrats,” I whispered. “You deserve all the best.”

“Thanks,” she said with an elated smile. “I’m so happy.”

We joined the boys at the firepit, and I gave Arjun a congratulatory hug before sitting next to Bobby. He draped his arm over my shoulders, and I moved in close, the heat radiating off his body bringing me comfort. The mood was high as we chatted in a group, all of us feeding off the emotional energy from our romantic final dates.

Until the text came. And we didn’t need to read it to know what it was about, as memories of the previous night came flooding back. The public had been voting, and someone was about to be dumped.

Chelsea sniffled as she stood and looked at her phone. “’Islanders, last night you all secretly voted for the couple you thought should be dumped from the island. Your votes have put three couples at risk, which means two couples are definitely safe and through to the Love Island final.’ It ends there.”

Another text, and Lottie stood up. “’The first couple safe and through to the final is… Chelsea and Gary.’”

We clapped and I sent them a congratulatory smile from across the firepit as they both sighed in relief.

“‘The second couple safe and through to the final is… Priya and Arjun.’”

Another round of applause and smiles turned to frowns and grimaces as the remaining three couples looked around at each other. That meant that Elisa and Marisol, Lottie and Henrik, and Bobby and I had all received votes and were vulnerable.

I swallowed hard as Bobby squeezed my hand, nerves settling into the pit of my stomach.

Tension mounted as we waited in silent anticipation for the next text. It finally came, and Arjun stood to read it.

“’Only one couple will be going home. The public have been voting for the couple they want to save. The two couples with the most votes will join the others in the final. The couple with the fewest votes will be dumped tonight. In no particular order, the first couple saved by the public is…’”

Another pause.

“‘Elisa and Marisol.’”

The two of them hugged each other tightly as the rest of us clapped for them. My chest tightened and I reached for Bobby’s hand again, intertwining our fingers as I looked up at him. He looked as nervous as I felt, and I squeezed his hand gently as I forced a smile onto my face.

Other than when Bobby had been saved by the public after the ‘least dateable’ vote, this was the closest we had been to being dumped. To finally be in the good place we were in after our date, to be on the brink of the finale only to miss out at the last moment wouldn’t be the end of the world, but suddenly I realized just how much it would mean to him to be there. To have the public see us as a committed couple would put to rest some of his worries. After all, the public had an outside perspective. They saw our beach hut confessions, they saw our interactions, they saw our private moments. If they didn’t believe in us, then maybe there was a reason.

“‘The final couple saved by the public and taking their place in the final is…’”

My eyes closed as I held my breath, nearly suffocating from the tension that filled the air as we waited for the final text to decide our fate. It was deathly quiet around the firepit; nobody dared make a sound.

“‘Josie and Bobby.’”

Relief flooded through me as Bobby’s arms wrapped around me, and I buried my face in his shirt as tears welled up in my eyes.

“We made it,” he whispered, his lips brushing against my ear. He smoothed his hand over my hair, soothing me as I clutched him tight. “We’re in the final, lass!”

I lifted my head, and he was quick to capture my mouth with his, fervently pressing his lips against mine and channeling all his relief and happiness into his kiss.

But us being saved meant Lottie and Henrik were being dumped, so we broke apart and joined the others in surrounding the other couple.

“I’m so sorry, Lottie,” I said when she turned to me.

She smiled and pulled me into a hug. “It’s okay, I read it in my tea leaves, so I was prepared. I’m happy for you. You deserve it.”

“No, I don’t.”

She chuckled softly as we separated. “Oh, Josie. You’ve stayed true to yourself more than anyone else in here has. And you’ve found love, which is what it’s all about.”

“I don’t—”

“Henrik and I are destined to just be friends, so it’s only right that you and Bobby made it through.”

“Thanks, Lottie.”

She turned away to hug Bobby, and Henrik came over, wrapping his arms around me.

“Congrats, Josie!” he said. “I’ll be cheering for you.”

“Thanks, Hen. For everything.”

“For _everything_?” he asked, giving me a strange look. “Even Blake?”

I laughed. “We never would have worked out anyway, and it led me to Bobby. So yes, thank you for everything. Although it would’ve been nice if you’d picked one of the other girls instead of Blake, to be honest.”

“True,” he grimaced. “I was a right idiot.”

“It’s all forgiven now,” I said with a smile, and he grinned back at me before turning to Lottie.

I went with the girls to help Lottie pack her things while the guys went with Henrik, and we met as a group soon afterwards at the front of the villa to say our final goodbyes.

After watching them walk down the drive and waving goodbye to them one last time, Chelsea turned to the rest of us.

“Guys,” she said, an awed tone to her voice, “we’re in the Love Island final!”

*********

“It’s so quiet in here,” Priya said as she walked through the bedroom and headed for her bed, where Arjun was waiting for her.

“It’s weird, innit?” Gary agreed. “Only four couples left.”

“This is less people than we started with,” Marisol added. “It’s finally sinking in that tomorrow’s our last day.”

Bobby walked in the door and I perked up as his eyes met mine. He smiled softly, and the rest of the room faded away, the others’ conversation forgotten as I watched him cross the room towards me. He slid under the duvet and immediately reached out for me, pulling me towards him.

“Today was a lot,” he whispered.

I nodded and relaxed in his arms. “How are you feeling about everything?”

“I feel really good,” he replied, and I could hear the smile in his voice. “We met each other’s families, had an amazing first date, and made it into the final, all in one day. I could hardly ask for anything more.”

“I could,” I smirked.

His shoulders shook with silent laughter and he leaned in to whisper in a low voice, “Just wait.”

We joined in the rest of the group’s conversation until everyone was settled in their beds and each couple began to whisper between themselves as we waited for the room to go dark.

As soon as the lights were off, Bobby disappeared beneath the covers. I lifted the duvet over my head as he slid down my body, leaving a trail of kisses over the smooth, silky fabric of my pyjamas.

His hands slid under the hem of my top and gently caressed my skin, sending a light tingling sensation through me. In the dark, every touch was heightened, and I couldn't stop the low moan that slipped out when he ran his tongue across my belly.

I could feel him smiling against me as he kissed his way upwards, slowly pushing the silky fabric up until it slipped over my breasts and he drew a nipple into his mouth. I let out a small gasp as he dragged his teeth across the sensitive skin, and he hummed in response.

I whined as his mouth disappeared from my breast, and he slid back up to whisper in my ear, “Are you gonna be quiet for me?”

I lowered the duvet and listened. Around the room, the sounds of the other couples’ lovemaking as they each celebrated making the final reached my ears, and I smirked as I lifted the covers back over our heads. I grabbed Bobby's chin and pulled his face towards me for a kiss before answering him.

“No. Let them hear what you can do with that tongue of yours.”

He chuckled and pressed his lips to mine once more before trailing little kisses downwards, along every inch of skin he could find. He licked circles around each nipple and flicked his tongue over the sensitive buds before continuing, not lingering in any spot for long.

When he reached the waistband of my shorts, he hooked his fingers into them and slid them off along with my panties as I raised my hips. For once he didn't tease, instead delving directly into my folds as I bucked up into him.

He spent what felt like an eternity between my legs, listening to my body and paying attention to every cue. Every moan, every twitch, every jerk of my hips told him what I needed, until I unravelled on his tongue over and over, my body quivering and his name on my lips.

He crawled back up next to me and nuzzled his face into my neck, pleased with himself as I panted to catch my breath. My fingers ran through his hair, caressing each loc between them, until I finally was able to speak.

“Bobby.”

“Mm,” he murmured.

His hardened length was pressed against my thigh, and already I ached to feel him again. I reached down and stroked him lightly, tracing my fingertips over his briefs as he sucked in a sharp breath.

“Please.”

That one word and touch were all he needed. He reached onto the bedside table for the foil packet that had been left there, and made quick work of shedding his pants and rolling it on.

He settled between my legs and lowered his head to kiss me tenderly, and I slid my hands over his shoulders, feeling his muscles flex as he supported himself. He positioned himself at my entrance and with a roll of his hips, he was inside me.

I wrapped my legs around him, and as he moved, I thought back on the last twenty-four hours. Between saying goodbye to Lucas, seeing my dad and meeting Bobby’s mother and sister, and going on our incredible date, it had been a whirlwind of emotions. But this was the perfect ending.

I was where I wanted to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost at the end! 😭


	43. Prom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LAST DAY IN THE VILLA!!!!!
> 
> I'm combining the prom and finale into a single day, which is what they do on the show. They're boring enough on their own, no need to separate them, right? But don't worry, they still get their own chapters, just without all the extra fluff and nonsense. 😊

“What do you think of this one?” Chelsea asked as she held up a pink floor-length gown.

I had woken early and been pleasantly wrapped around Bobby, listening to his heartbeat, when a text had come in for the girls to get up and go shopping. I’d been hoping for a lie-in on our last morning in the villa, so the news hadn’t been welcome; but after getting ready and then giving Bobby a quick kiss goodbye, I joined the others. We were taken to a café for a quick breakfast first and were now in a shop looking at fancy dresses.

“It’s very… pink,” I responded to the blonde girl who was way too happy this early in the morning.

“I know!” she beamed. “Isn’t it great?”

It wasn’t to my taste, but I nodded anyway and was surprised to see her hang it back on the rack and continue shuffling through the dresses, humming to herself.

Priya and Elisa were on the other end of the room, oohing and aahing over a rack of gowns, while Marisol was in the middle of a discussion with the saleslady.

“What do you think of this pattern for you?”

I looked up to see Chelsea holding up a frilly grey dress with a large pink floral print.

“Looks a little bit like wallpaper,” I said dryly, and she burst into giggles.

“You’re right!” She hung the dress over her arm and winked at me. “I think I’m gonna try it on, I’ve always wanted to interior decorate myself!”

Priya breezed over and I handed her a gold dress.

“What do you think?”

“Oh, no,” she grimaced, “I don’t like lace, it itches!”

“I love lace!” I responded. “But I can see what you mean.”

We continued going through the racks, picking up a few dresses each to try on and handing them to the saleslady. She carried them into the fitting room for us while we went into an adjacent lounge area and took a seat on the couches there, ready to give ourselves a mini fashion show as we each tried on the dresses.

Chelsea was the first to go into the changeroom, and after a few minutes she came out wearing the patterned dress she had shown me.

“What on earth is that?” Priya asked with raised eyebrows.

“Josie said it looks like wallpaper, so I wanted to try it!”

“More like my nan’s curtains,” Elisa mused.

Chelsea’s eyes widened. “Ooh, do you think Gary’s nan would like it?”

“ _No_ ,” Marisol said firmly, and she pointed at the dressing room. “Go try the next one.”

“It doesn’t even fit properly,” Chelsea giggled as she picked up the skirt and headed back to try something else on.

She modelled a few more dresses before eventually settling on a light pink satin dress with spaghetti straps.

Marisol and Elisa went next, and they both chose not to see each other’s picks, so one waited in a separate room while the other tried on dresses. Marisol picked out a red dress with a ruffled hem and thigh-high split, claiming it was “something she could dance in,” while Elisa chose a partially sheer gown with silver sequins all over.

Priya tried on a number of glitzy, blingy evening dresses that she loved on the hanger, but once they were on, she hummed and hawed over them. They all looked great on her, but she was never quite satisfied, always finding something she didn’t like – the way they hung, the way they fit, too short, too long.

Finally, the saleslady suggested she try something completely different.

“I guess it can’t hurt,” she grumbled as she took one last look in the mirror at the sparkly gold gown she was wearing. She returned to the fitting room while the lady went through the racks and grabbed a few dresses for her.

“If this bitch ever gets married,” I said as we waited, “I’m not going wedding dress shopping with her. She’ll try on every dress in the store and find something wrong with them all.”

“It’s a little early to be talking about weddings,” Marisol responded with a roll of her eyes.

I raised my eyebrows at her. “I’m just saying in general, not that it’s going to happen anytime soon.”

She shrugged. “Whatever.”

_But I could see her and Arjun lasting._

We heard the click of heels on the floor and looked up to see Priya coming towards us in a sleek black dress with a ruched bodice and a dangerously high slit. There was a rectangular panel of fabric covering her breasts, leaving a tasteful amount of cleavage and sideboob.

We fell silent as we waited for her assessment, each of us holding our breath in the hopes that the search was over. She turned in front of the full-length mirror, checking herself out from all angles.

“Well?” Chelsea finally squealed, unable to keep it in any longer.

Priya pursed her lips as she took one last glance at the way her hips filled out the dress, then turned to us. Slowly, a wide smile filled her face.

“I love it!” she exclaimed, and we all cheered and complimented her on her choice.

“You’re up, Josie!” Elisa said, and I got up and headed to the dressing room.

I had picked out a few dresses and started with a cobalt blue floor-length dress with spaghetti straps. I put it on and headed out to the others.

I was met with silent stares, a reaction I hadn’t expected – I thought it looked good.

“Too plain,” Priya said with a wave of her hand.

“Really?” I asked. “How is this any plainer than yours?”

“It’s okaaay,” Chelsea added, her lips pursed and brows furrowed. “But it’s missing something.”

“It’s not sexy enough,” Elisa said. “You’re hot, you should be showing off that body more. Give us some boob.”

I laughed and turned to look in the mirror. I decided they were right – it was nice, but you don’t wear _just_ nice to something like this.

The second dress was sexier, but they still weren’t satisfied.

“Tough crowd,” I chuckled as I headed back to the dressing room.

The next dress was an emerald green high-necked halter with a cut-out in the front from the neck to the waist. It had the generous cleavage Elisa was looking for, and with the open back there was just a hint of sideboob as well. It fit perfectly over my hips and flowed into a mermaid-style silhouette.

I walked out to the lounge where the girls sat and waited for them to say something.

Chelsea let out a whoosh of breath. “Girl, that is the _one!_ ”

“You think so?” I asked, giving it a twirl.

“It’s sexy,” Marisol said.

“ _Very_ sexy,” Priya nodded. “Bobby’s gonna have a hard time keeping his hands off you.”

“The colour really brings out your eyes,” Elisa added. “It’s perfect.”

I looked at myself in the mirror one more time and nodded. It really was perfect.

*********

When we returned to the villa, we found the boys hanging out on the daybeds with notepads and pencils in hand, writing their speeches for the prom. After saying a quick good morning to them, we headed into the bedroom where we found our own writing supplies, and huddled together on the beds to write.

_‘Declarations of Love’? This is so cheesy._

When I finished my speech, I headed outside to rejoin the boys. Bobby was sitting up on one of the daybeds, so I sat on the cushions beside him to make myself taller than him and draped my arm over his shoulders.

“I missed you,” he said after giving me a peck on the cheek.

“We were only gone a few hours,” I laughed, and brought my hand up to tangle in his dreads as his head lowered onto my shoulder. “What are you gonna do when we’re out of here and don’t see each other every day?”

“I’m not ready to think about that,” he replied with a frown.

“The finale’s tonight, hun. Tomorrow we go back to the real world. Back to our lives.”

He reached for my free hand and intertwined our fingers. “Let’s just not talk about it yet, alright? It’s our last day in the villa; I just want to soak up every minute of it.”

“Alright,” I agreed, pressing a light kiss on his forehead. “So, what did you do while we were away, besides think about me every moment?”

“We picked out our suits for tonight.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Suits? I get to see you in a suit?”

He grinned. “Oh, yeah. It’s gonna be so warm, though.”

“Well, I do love a man in a suit.”

“Oh, is that right?”

“Mmhmm.” I leaned toward him and nuzzled my nose against his. “I’m excited. What colour is it?”

“Can’t tell you.”

“Why not?” I pouted. “I need to know if it’ll match my dress.”

“What colour is your dress?”

“It’s a secret.”

“So’s mine.”

“That’s not fair!”

He laughed and looped his arm under my legs to pull me onto his lap before wrapping his arms around me. “I guess we’ll just have to see, won’t we?”

I lifted a hand to his cheek and was about to kiss him when someone’s phone went off.

“Oh, fuck off.”

He giggled and kissed me quickly, then we looked over at the other bed where Arjun was looking at his phone.

“’Islanders, as you know, tonight you will be attending the Love Island 2019 Summer Ball. You’ve got your outfits and your speeches, now it’s time to brush up on your dance moves. #hipsdontlie #savethelastsalsa’”

“Omigod, _yes_!” Marisol shouted with a pump of her fist. “Salsa time!”

“You’re gonna put the rest of us to shame, babe,” Elisa groaned. “Especially me!”

“It’s fine, I’ll teach you!”

“Hola, islanders!”

We turned to see a man and woman jogging towards us and waving.

“We’re José and Maria, and we’re going to teach you to dance today!”

“Oh, yay!” Chelsea clapped her hands. “This will be fun!”

They started off by demonstrating the dance we were supposed to do, which involved a lot of swaying hips and swinging arms.

“That’s so sexy,” Priya commented. Beside her, Arjun started bobbing his head and moving to imaginary music as he watched.

We split into boys and girls groups to start learning the steps and practicing them on our own, then joined our partners to try it together.

“Oi,” Gary said as he woodenly went through the steps, “I prefer my salsa with crisps!”

“It’s the effort that counts, mate!” Bobby laughed at him. “This is fun!”

He turned his attention towards me and attempted a smoulder as he snaked his hips, and I giggled in response.

“You look good, at least,” I said as I bit my lower lip and gave him a smoulder of my own as I shimmied towards him.

“Damn,” he muttered, “you and I are one sizzling hot couple.”

We continued practicing until we had a fairly good grasp on the dance moves, then our instructors bade us goodbye and left. We received a text advising us to start packing and only leave what we needed for the evening, and then it was time to get ready.

*********

Once again, we had makeup artists and hairstylists come in to make us look pretty, so the dressing room was about as relaxed as it had been since we entered the villa. Inevitably, the conversation turned nostalgic as it began to really sink in that we were in our last few hours in the villa.

“Remember that time Josie and Bobby played a prank on Lucas and Henrik?” Chelsea asked. “That was so funny to watch. I wish I’d been in the villa when that happened.”

“I don’t remember,” Marisol frowned. “When was that?”

“The day they came in,” I responded. “We put salt in their water.”

“Oh,” she shrugged. “What about Mr. Love Island? That was fun.”

“Bobby wore my dress!” Priya laughed. “Who could forget?”

“Or when Bobby won the cake-decorating challenge and went streaking!”

Chelsea squealed. “And then he tripped and did a somersault!”

“I think my favourite was the girls’ secret missions we did,” Elisa said. “We nailed that.”

“Oh yes, that was a lot of fun!”

“How about that time it rained?”

Marisol groaned. “But we were stuck inside all day.”

“Yeah, but we got to make a blanket fort!” Chelsea’s eyes widened at the memory.

_And Bobby kissed me in the rain…_

“And there was that time the guys forced us to play Adventure Golf…”

The girls kept talking and listing memories, but I stopped paying attention as my mind wandered to that day in the rain. If we hadn’t been chosen to do the shopping, that kiss never would have happened. We wouldn’t have slept together that night. Lucas would have come back the next day, and I might have gone back to him without a second glance, never realizing my feelings for Bobby. Or worse, I might not have figured them out until it was too late.

There was no way of knowing for sure what would have happened, but looking back now, I wouldn’t change it. My feelings for Bobby had crept up so gradually that it took me until that day to realize what they were; now that I recognized them, I realized they had been there all along. What I thought was just a good friendship was so much more.

“Josie. Josie!”

I looked up to see Chelsea waving her hand in my face. “It’s time to go downstairs! Put your dress on!”

The other girls were already dressed, and Marisol had left to join the boys. We would be going outside one at a time to meet the guys, just like day one, as if our villa journey were coming full circle.

Chelsea was too excited to stand around any longer, so she went outside first, with Elisa following shortly afterwards, and then it was my turn.

I stepped out into the yard, something I’d done hundreds of times in the last month, but this time was different. It was one of the last times I’d be making this walk, and a light fluttering sensation filled my stomach. Extra fairy lights hung from the trees, there were bright flowers everywhere, and there was a white, flower-covered arch on the lawn. A few steps more and I could see the other couples standing side-by-side. My heart began to race as I moved forward, and Bobby came into view.

His whole face lit up with a wide grin when he saw me, an expression I knew was mirrored on my own, and everything else disappeared as our eyes locked. I closed the distance between us in a near-daze, and the next thing I knew I was in his arms with his lips pressed to mine.

“Wow,” he grinned, his eyes sparkling. “You look stunning.”

“You look amazing in a suit,” I responded, running my hands down his chest. “Not everyone can pull off mint green, but you look great.”

“You could say it _suits_ me,” he smirked, and I chuckled softly as I moved to stand beside him, our arms circled around each other’s waists.

“We look good together,” I whispered as we watched Priya walk out of the villa, beaming at Arjun.

“I might’ve bribed someone to tell me what colour you were wearing.”

I laughed softly. “I thought you picked this out while we were shopping?”

“Ah, you caught me!”

“You’re a bad liar, B.”

“Well, I know green is one of your favourite colours, so I figured either way it was a good choice.”

“Then it’s a good thing I didn’t pick the dress with the loud print that you would have loved.”

His eyes widened. “Was that an option?”

“Nope. Now, let’s join the others, it looks like they’ve found the champagne.”

Our fingers intertwined like it was the most natural thing in the world as we moved to the table where Gary was pouring from a golden champagne bottle and handing out glasses. Bobby took one and handed it to me before taking one for himself, and he raised it in the air.

“First off,” he said, “all you ladies look absolutely amazing. We’re all very lucky guys – and ladies,” he motioned towards Elisa and Marisol, who beamed back at him, “and I think we all need to embrace this moment and each other. To the finals!”

“To the finals!”

After our toast, we headed to the firepit where a large circular table had been set up for dinner. We were treated to one of the best meals we’d had the entire month, and it was a time of laughter and more reminiscing, along with a few tears shed over the bittersweet moment.

And then, finally, it was time to give our speeches. We moved to the lawn where tables and chairs had been set up for each couple facing the arch.

Priya and Arjun went up first and stood facing each other with their hands held between them. Their speeches were a mix of cheeky, goofy, and romantic, and they both shed a few tears as they declared their love for each other.

As we clapped and they returned to their seats, Bobby leaned over to whisper, “Good luck going after that.”

I looked over at him and saw a glint of moisture in his eye. “Are you crying?” I whispered back.

“No,” he responded with a sniffle as he blinked a couple times.

“You’re crying.”

“Shut up.”

Gary nervously wiped his forehead as he and Chelsea went up next. His face and neck were tinged pink as he smiled down at her, a smile which she returned with a beaming one of her own. His speech was typical Gary; it started with a joke and was sprinkled with comments about cranes and his nan, before he finally ended with the words, “I love you, Chichi.”

Chelsea squealed and jumped into his arms, wrapping hers around his neck as he spun her around.

“I love you, too, Garebear!”

When he set her down again, she fanned her face with her hands.

“Oh fuck, it’s my turn!” Her eyes widened and she snapped a hand over her mouth. “Oops! Sorry!”

Gary chuckled and kissed her gently before whispering something in her ear, and she giggled.

“Okay, I’m good now!”

She made it through her speech and finished the same way Gary had, by saying she loved him.

As I was clapping, happy for them, a thought popped into my head.

_Wait… Bobby’s not going to say he loves me, is he?_

My throat closed up and I snuck a wide-eyed glance at him. He was clapping and beaming for Gary and Chelsea, but once again his eyes were glistening with emotion.

_Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit._

It was a ‘declaration of love,’ after all, and this was Love Island. Love was the whole point, wasn’t it? But it wasn’t something I was ready to hear, and it certainly wasn’t something I was ready to say. Bobby had liked me since day one, but did he love me? Could he?

My heart started pounding and waves roiled in my stomach as Gary and Chelsea returned to their seats, and I lowered my eyes to the ground, not daring to look at Bobby.

Priya, Arjun, Gary, and Chelsea had all confessed their love. Both couples had been together longer than us, but Bobby and I had known each other the longest and had been close friends throughout the last four weeks. It wasn’t out of the question that his feelings might be stronger than I realized, and maybe the others’ declarations would embolden him to do the same. He was an entertainer, and he would be just the type to make a grand gesture or a public declaration.

“ _Josie_.”

My eyes snapped up to see Bobby standing in front of me, staring expectantly with his hand held out.

“It’s our turn,” he said, jerking his chin towards the arch.

I swallowed and forced a smile onto my face as I grabbed my speech off the table, placed a hand in his, and rose to my feet. They felt wooden as we walked to the arch, and I was hyperaware of the closeness of his body, the heat that radiated off him stifling me as our arms brushed against each other.

“Are you nervous?” he whispered, and his breath against my ear sent a shiver down my spine.

“Um, yeah, a little.”

_A lot. But not for the reason you’re probably thinking._

“You’ll be fine. Just pretend I’m naked or something.”

“Bobby, that’s not going to help.”

_It’s not **my** speech I’m worried about..._

We reached the arch, and he pulled his speech out of his pocket as we turned to face each other.

_Look up, Josie. You have to look up._

I took a deep breath and exhaled, then lifted my head to meet Bobby’s eye contact. He grinned, and for a moment the light in his eyes sent a wave of calm over me, only to be followed by a renewed sense of panic the moment he opened his mouth.

“Josie,” he started, “from the moment I laid eyes on you…”

His lips were moving, but I heard nothing, only the warning bells going off in my head, telling me to _run_. My fingers twitched against the paper in my hands, and my foot tapped against the floor as I resisted the urge, knowing that I had to stay. For his sake, I had to stay.

The sound of laughter reached my ears and I realized Bobby had said something funny, evoking a reaction out of the others. I forced myself to laugh along with them.

“… it was then that I realized that nothing would make me happier than to be the one to put a smile on your face every day…”

The smile I had plastered on my face at the start of his speech turned genuine at that, and he sent me a wink that felt like reassurance.

“… our time in the villa has had its share of ups and downs, but we’ve made it this far, and I like to think that means that we can make it through anything. You’re the only one I ever wanted by my side throughout this journey, and I can’t wait to leave here and face the real world together with you.”

I held my breath.

_Don’t say it. Please don’t say it._

Bobby put his speech down and grinned widely at me, and I blinked as I let out a sigh of relief.

_That’s it? Oh, thank god._

He held out his arms and I moved into them, wrapping my own around him as I tilted my chin up to meet his kiss.

“Thank you,” I murmured.

“For what?”

“Never mind. My turn.”

He released me and I stepped back, clearing my throat and blinking back the moisture in my eyes until I could read the words on the page.

My voice trembled as I began to speak, “Bobby, when I think back on the last month and all the moments that stand out to me, it doesn’t take me long to realize that you show up in most of them. Ever since the first day, you’ve been there to make me laugh, be a shoulder to cry on, and set my head straight when I needed it most, which was often.”

I looked up to find Bobby smiling encouragingly at me, and it gave me a renewed sense of confidence as I continued, “There are a lot of things I wish I had done differently, but the one thing I did right was choose you. It sounds cliché, but you really have been my rock throughout this experience, and I don’t think I could have made it without you.”

I took a calming breath and quickly smiled up at him before looking back down at the page. “I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I’m so excited that I get to experience it with you. I wouldn’t have it any other way, and I can’t wait to walk out of here hand-in-hand with you. Thank you for believing in me and being there for me every step of the way.”

When I looked up again there was a single tear rolling down Bobby’s face, and the paper slipped out between my fingers onto the floor as I stepped towards him. My hands cupped his cheeks as he lowered his head down and our lips met in a kiss that was tender yet full of feeling.

“That was beautiful, lass,” he said when we parted.

I clutched his hand as we returned to our seats. Before he sat down, he moved his chair closer to mine and draped his arm over my shoulders. I smiled and leaned into him as Marisol and Elisa walked towards the arch for the final speeches of the evening.

I tried listening, and caught bits of their speeches, but now that ours were over and I could rest easy, I just didn’t care that much. Marisol said something about how Elisa had given her the confidence to embrace who she was and pursue a relationship with another woman; Elisa waxed poetic about how they complemented each other so well, but other than that I missed it all. I was too caught up in the presence of the man sitting next to me.

“Dancing time!” Chelsea clapped excitedly. She hopped up from her seat and grabbed Gary’s arm, pulling him out of his chair.

“Oof, easy there, love,” he said.

“May I have this dance?” Bobby asked, standing up and holding out his hand.

I smirked as I looked up at him. “Shouldn’t you be addressing me as ‘milady’ if you’re going to be so formal?”

He rolled his eyes, but affected a posh accent when he asked again, “May I have this dance, _milady_?”

I placed my hand into his and stood. “You may.”

As we walked over to the dancefloor he whispered, “Do you remember the steps?”

“Um, some of them? I remember the general idea, but not necessarily everything.”

“Good, me neither.”

“Let’s just have fun with it.”

“That I can do.”

We lined up with the other couples and as the music started, we began to move, laughing at how ridiculous we felt as we tried to remember the steps. Marisol and Elisa were doing well, so the rest of us mostly tried to copy what they were doing, but eventually gave up and did our own thing.

“Ow! Gary, that was my foot!”

“Sorry, Chels Bels!”

“Wait, which way are we supposed to be going?”

“Just twirl me!”

After a lot of laughter and missteps, the music changed, and we let loose. We split off into groups of girls and guys for a bit before going back to our partners.

I pressed my back up against Bobby’s chest and grinded against him. His hands found my hips as we moved together, and for a moment it felt like it was just the two of us.

As the song was coming to an end, Bobby brushed his lips against my ear and whispered, “Pool?”

I grinned as I turned to face him. “It is tradition, after all.”

We ripped off our mics and grabbed each other’s hands, then turned and ran towards the pool, taking a leap into the deep water.

By the time we surfaced, the other islanders were jumping in as well. I wrapped my arms around Bobby’s shoulders and pressed my lips to his.

“TO THE FINALS!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since we're almost at the end, I just wanted to do a little shameless self-promotion here (ope!) and let you know that I’ve got a few other fics on the go and in the pipeline!
> 
> [Edge of the World](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26221252/chapters/63817660) is a short pirate!Bobby fic that’s wrapping up soon. I’ve had so much fun with it and I’d love it if you checked it out!
> 
> [The Bobby Complex](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28761921%E2%80%9D%20rel=) is a fun little story co-written with a few of my favourite fic authors. We were chatting on the discord server one day and started wondering what would happen if some of our MCs met, and this was born.
> 
> [cashmere & cocoa](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28882713%E2%80%9D%20rel=) is one for my fellow Henrik stans! It was originally imagined as a oneshot and I wrote it for the prompt competition on r/LITGFanFiction, but words got away from me and I decided to expand it. It’s currently still one chapter, but I will definitely be continuing it (I just don’t know when).
> 
> I have a number of other things cooking, mostly oneshots (some of which will even feature our friends Josie and Bobby), but I’m also hoping to write another Bobby longfic and potentially some Henrik ones if all works out. So stay tuned for those! If you don’t want to miss an update, feel free to subscribe to me here, or you can follow on tumblr @longbobmckenzie.


	44. Finale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *excitedly waves arms and screams* WE’RE FINALLY HERE!!! Finale time!
> 
> Thank you so much for taking the time to read this whole thing. I couldn’t have done it without the support of so many of you (more about that in the end notes)!
> 
> It feels so good to be finally (almost) done! I am working on an epilogue (so don’t go away just yet), but I’ve officially escaped the villa, and it feels so good. I’m not sure when the epilogue will be up, but I’ve been taking a break and working on other things, so it probably won’t be posted on the regular schedule.
> 
> Without further ado… your Love Island 2019 Finale!

When we got out of the pool, we headed back into the villa to dry off, change, and re-do our hair and makeup to get ready for the live results show. While we were busy inside, the production team went to work outside, taking down the prom setup and getting the lawn ready for the finale.

When it was almost time to go back outside, Bobby came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Are you nervous?” he asked.

I turned around and circled my arms around his waist. “Kind of, but not really, if that makes any sense. I think at this point, I’m just ready for this to be over.”

“Only a couple more hours. Crazy.”

_I can’t wait._

I laid my head on his shoulder and for a moment just relished the pleasure of being silent in his company.

“Do you think we have a chance at winning?” he asked.

“Babe, we could have been dumped last night.”

“I guess, but just because we were up for elimination doesn’t mean the public doesn’t rate us. That was just because of the other couples voting against us.”

I lifted my head to look at him. “Do _you_ think we could win?”

“I’d like to think so,” he smiled softly, before pressing a gentle kiss on my lips. “I think we’re a good couple.”

I returned his smile but shook my head. “I don’t think so – that we’ll win, I mean. And I’m okay with that. At this point, I’m just happy to still be here with someone I see a potential future with.”

He kissed me again, this time drawing it out longer as his hands came up to cup my face. When he broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against mine and closed his eyes.

“Josie, I—”

“Finalists, we’re going live in five minutes!” A producer called out as she briskly walked through the bedroom. “I need you all to go out to the firepit and sit in your couples.”

Bobby sighed and quickly kissed the corner of my lips before drawing away.

“What is it?” I asked softly.

He merely smiled, took my hand in his, and tilted his head towards the door. “Let’s just get out there, alright?”

I frowned, but nodded, and together we followed the other couples to the firepit.

Rows of white chairs had been set up on the lawn, all filled with people who had been invited for the live show. I couldn’t make anyone out due to the bright film lights, but I assumed that the former islanders and the family members that had visited the previous day were in the crowd. I squinted as I tried looking for my father, but quickly gave up.

They brought in a host for the evening, and as the show began, she greeted the live audience and viewers before introducing each of us in our couples. Then we sat back as they showed the events from earlier that day – the shopping, speech writing, dancing, and prom – on a big screen.

Following a short commercial break, they showed another video montage – this one of the highlights of the whole past month. It was weird watching ourselves back like that, especially seeing how it had been edited, but it made me curious to know what it would be like to watch back the rest of the show.

Finally, it was time to start revealing the results. The host asked us to stand up in our couples, and we did so, gripping our partners’ hands tightly.

The host stood in front of us with a card in hands. “I can now reveal that the couple in fourth place is… Marisol and Elisa!”

We clapped for them and watched as they moved to sit with the host on a couch for a one-on-one interview, along with a video montage of their ‘best bits’ together.

Once they were done, the host stood in front of us again to reveal the third-place couple.

“Chelsea and Gary!”

They repeated the same process, leaving Priya and Arjun, and Bobby and myself sitting alone at the firepit.

“It’s gonna be you guys, for sure,” I mouthed to Priya.

She smiled and shook her head, but I was convinced there was no way Bobby and I would beat them. They were a strong couple: they were fun, never caused drama, and were clearly in love with each other. Other than Bobby, they were my favourite two people in the villa, and I didn’t want to take anything away from them. They deserved to win.

“I can’t believe we’re in the final two,” I whispered to Bobby.

“I told you we’re a good couple,” he grinned. “I know you’ve been hard on yourself at times, but you’re a lot of fun, and I’m sure the public has seen that. Plus, I think you’ve grown a lot during this.”

“The Josie Redemption Tour, huh?” I joked.

He smiled, tracing a finger along my shoulder. “You can joke about it, but it’s truer than you think.”

I opened my mouth to respond but was silenced by the producers. Gary and Chelsea’s interview had finished, and we were being asked to stand while the host introduced us.

“Shortly we’ll find out whether you voted Josie and Bobby or Priya and Arjun as your Love Island winners,” she said enthusiastically as she smiled into the camera. “But before we reveal the results, let’s have a quick chat with our final two couples. First up, Priya and Arjun! Let’s take a look at their summer of love.”

They showed Priya and Arjun’s video montage and then the host sat down with them for their interview.

When they were done, the host flashed another bright smile at the camera. “Okay, finally it’s time to talk to Josie and Bobby!” she said. “Here’s a look back at their unforgettable holiday romance.”

The big screen turned on again as an image of me walking into the villa with Hope flashed across it, followed by Bobby walking onto the lawn cracking a joke.

Bobby’s arm snaked around my waist and he pulled me closer to him as we stood watching back the highlights of our time in the villa. They showed a few nice moments of us together from that first time we were coupled up, before segueing into our moments as just friends: Rocco picking me in the recoupling, Bobby giving me a massage the night of the big Lottie-Priya fight, the two of us playing our prank on Henrik and Lucas when they came in, baking cupcakes together prior to the Mr. Love Island challenge.

Then came the turbulent bits – Bobby being announced as one of the ‘Least Dateable’ and me freaking out about it, him comforting me in the hall outside the Beach Hut, the Mean Tweets challenge in which Lottie found out about my kiss with Gary. There were a few clips of me with Henrik, and some showing Bobby with the other girls he’d been coupled up with, followed by shots of Casa Amor and the night of the Stick or Switch recoupling.

It was painful to watch those moments, yet through it all I couldn’t help but notice the way Bobby treated me in each of them. All the looks, the shoulder nudges, the comforting squeezes, the little touches – things I didn't even notice at the time. He was always there for me, showing how much he cared, and I wondered how I’d missed the signs for so long. How I’d let myself get sucked into my own drama instead of realizing that the right person was standing beside me the whole time.

As the video started showing moments of us coupling up again, I started paying less attention to the video itself and began to think more about what it represented. I’d come into the villa with a lot of confidence, but all the personal drama had broken me down, and with Bobby’s help I’d slowly been getting built back up again. Even the times my words and actions had hurt him had been experiences that I could learn from.

I realized I didn’t like the selfish creature I’d been before, looking out only for my own interests except where it was convenient. It was selfishness that made me kiss Gary, selfishness that refused to give Rocco a chance, selfishness that made me upset when I realized I was about to lose either Lucas or Bobby. And especially when I kissed Lucas during the Snog, Marry, Pie challenge. I was selfish, and I didn’t like it.

I felt a twinge of regret that I had wasted so much of my time on Love Island being that person, and it made me even more amazed and grateful that Bobby still saw something in me worth fighting for. Instead of watching the tail end of the video, I looked up at him, wondering how I got so lucky as to find him. I had let him go once, but I wasn’t going to do it again.

As the video ended, Bobby looked back at me and smiled before giving me a quick kiss. He threaded his fingers through mine as we walked towards the couch where the host was waiting for us.

“You’ve made it to the final two, congratulations!” she said with a glowing smile as we took our seats.

Bobby grinned as he slid his arm over my shoulders. “Thanks! We’re excited to be here.”

“How are you guys feeling?”

“A little bit speechless,” I responded. “I never expected to make it this far.”

“Yeah, it’s crazy,” Bobby added, “looking back at that first day, I think none of us really knew what to expect. With every dumping that passes you kind of appreciate each day more, because anyone could be leaving at any time. To make it all the way to the final two… it’s special.”

The host’s head tilted slightly as she smiled at us. “That’s so sweet. Alright, you’ve both been in since day one; describe your journey over the past month.”

Bobby looked over at me and raised his eyebrows, silently indicating I should go first. I drew in a breath as I faced the host.

“It’s been… a bit of a rollercoaster.”

The woman smiled. “That’s an understatement, I’d say.”

“Yeah, it’s been absolutely wild. Especially watching back that video, seeing it all again… I think I’m gonna need a therapist.”

She laughed. “Well, we can definitely arrange that.”

“I think overall, it’s been a good experience, though. Obviously, I went through a lot of drama, most of it of my own making; but knowing what I know now, it’s all been worth it.” My hand moved to rest on Bobby’s thigh as I smiled at him before turning back to the host. “I’m coming out of here with this awesome guy, and we’re in the final two somehow, so at least it’s turned out okay.”

“How did it feel when you walked in after Casa Amor and saw Henrik with Blake?”

_Oof._

“Not great. I was blindsided because I thought Henrik and I were in a good place at the time. Casa Amor was pretty rough.”

“Would you do anything in Casa Amor differently if you had to do it again? Gotten to know any of the other boys that showed interest?”

I shook my head. “No, not at all. After all the Gary and Lucas stuff I think part of me just wanted to prove to everyone that I could stay loyal, but I also really enjoyed my time with Henrik. I didn’t see any reason to look for someone else at that point, and even knowing now that he would switch, I would still do the same thing.”

“Alright, thank you.” She smiled. “Bobby, did you know since the beginning that Josie was the girl for you?”

He grinned, and his arm squeezed around me. “It wasn’t quite love at first sight, but I never really had eyes for anyone else. Those first couple days… I already really liked her.”

“Was it hard for you to be close friends with Josie knowing she didn’t see you the same way?”

Bobby shifted slightly in his seat. “A little, at times. Mostly while she was going through all that hurt, and I just wanted her to see that I was right there in front of her. But, I loved spending time with her, even if it was only as friends.”

“How did you feel when Lucas came back?”

“Yeah, that sucked,” he chuckled. “I didn’t want to worry, but I was kinda bricking it at times. Lucas has a lot of things I don’t, so it was hard not to compare.”

I gave his thigh a light squeeze in response as the host turned back to me.

“Josie, how did you choose between Bobby and Lucas? The public were pretty split on which way you’d go.”

“I was pretty split myself,” I smiled. “I didn’t know who I was going to pick until the moment came, but I think it really came down to being more sure of my feelings for Bobby, and his for me. I wasn’t going to throw that away over someone I didn’t know as well.”

Bobby shifted closer almost imperceptibly, the movement serving to reassure me that all was forgiven.

“Any regrets?”

“None.”

“Okay, last question: what’s your villa highlight?”

I turned my head and smiled at Bobby as I gave my answer, “That’s easy. The day it rained… everything about that day was amazing, but the moment that stands out the most was when he kissed me in the rain.”

Bobby grinned back at me. “For me it was after the final recoupling.” He turned back to face the host, but not before I noticed a glint of moisture in his eyes. “Josie surprising me with s’mores was…” he choked up a bit. “It was perfect. Obviously, we had just gone through a rough patch and I wasn’t even sure she’d pick me, but then for her to make that gesture was, just…”

His voice broke off and I leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.

The host smiled. “Well, we’re all cheering for you. Good luck tonight, guys!” She turned back to face the cameras. “So, that’s it, the wait is finally over, and after the break we’ll be revealing which couple you’ve chosen as your 2019 winners. Do not go anywhere!”

While they cut to a commercial break, the couches were moved out of the way, and Priya and Arjun came back to the stage to join us.

“Good luck, guys,” Arjun said, and we all gave each other hugs.

Production directed us to stand with one couple on either side of the host, and Bobby’s arms slid around my waist as he stood just behind me. I leaned back into him, his warm breath against my neck making my skin tingle.

The host smiled into the camera as the ad break ended, as we were live once more.

“Welcome back to the Love Island live final! It’s time to find out who you’ve chosen as your winning couple.” She turned her head to both sides, looking at each couple. “Josie and Bobby, Priya and Arjun, the public have been watching your every move…”

Bobby nudged me. “ _Every_ move?”

I smirked and dug my elbow into his stomach.

“… time to reveal the winning couple. The winners of Love Island 2019 are… Priya and Arjun!!”

I was almost as relieved as I was excited, and I jumped and screamed along with the audience as my favourite couple turned to each other in elation. Bobby and I crossed the stage to give them both hugs, and then stood aside to give them their moment in the spotlight.

The host turned to us. “Congratulations! Well done, how are you feeling?”

“I’m so happy for them! They deserved to win,” I said with a beaming smile, and Bobby murmured his agreement.

“Josie and Bobby, everybody!”

I turned to hug Bobby as the host moved towards Priya and Arjun.

“Priya and Arjun, you are the winners! How are you feeling?”

I didn’t hear their responses, as I focused instead on the man in front of me with the widest grin on his face as he looked down at me.

“Are you disappointed?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Nah, I’ve got everything I need right here.”

I leaned towards him and we kissed as confetti rained down upon us.

Soon, we were being rushed over to the side of the stage so that they could unleash their final relationship ‘test’ on the winning couple: love or money. The host had the two of them stand on either side of her and had them each take a glittery gold envelope from her hand. She explained that one envelope had £50,000 printed in it, the other had £0. Whoever opened the envelope with the money would then have to choose whether to keep it for themselves, or share it 50/50 with their partner.

“Alright, ladies first: Priya, please open your envelope.”

Priya opened the envelope to reveal £50,000, and she let out an excited squeal. Arjun then opened his to confirm it had nothing.

“Congratulations, Priya! The £50,000 prize is yours. Now, this is the moment we find out if you’re here for love or money. What are you going to do?”

Priya bit her lip as she looked down at the envelope, and then up at Arjun.

“This would certainly buy a lot of shoes…”

The host let out a little giggle.

“… but of course, I’m going to share it!”

The crowd erupted with cheers as Arjun ran over to Priya and swung her around in his arms. When he set her down, the host sidled back over to them.

“Congratulations, you’ve proved you were here for the right reasons and now are both £25,000 richer! Arjun, did you think she was gonna share that?”

“Of course, I knew she was gonna share,” Arjun replied, his eyes shining as he looked at Priya, who glowed as she gazed back at him.

“I’m so happy for you, congratulations, guys! And that does it for Love Island 2019! Priya and Arjun are your winning couple; thank you for giving us all an incredible summer, and thank you everyone at home for watching. Enjoy the rest of your summer, goodnight!”

The rest of us – Bobby and I, and the other two final couples – rushed back onto the stage to celebrate with Priya and Arjun as the cameras turned off for the final time. Love Island 2019 was officially over, and now it was time to party.

“Congrats again, guys!” I squealed as I ran over to them and threw my arms around Priya.

“Thanks, love!” she replied, her voice full of emotion. “I couldn’t have done it without you. We’re going shopping, and I’m buying you something, alright?”

“Priya, you don’t need to do that!”

“No, but I want to. I wouldn’t be here without you.”

“Neither would I, so I’d say we’re even,” I said as I drew back from our hug. “But we can still go shopping.”

“It’s a date, then,” she smiled. “I can’t wait.”

She was pulled away by someone else, and I hugged Arjun before making the rounds through the other finalists. Someone popped open a bottle of bubbly and I found myself with a glass in hand as I mingled. I looked around for Bobby and saw him chatting with Gary, so I decided to leave them to talk on their own.

We moved to the lawn so the production team could remove the stage and make more space on the lawn for us to party. The audience began to file out of their seats, and we were joined by departed islanders that had made the trip back to Spain for the finals. Shannon, Lottie, Hope, Noah, Rahim, Hannah… there were so many familiar faces, but all I wanted was to see my dad again.

I made my way through the crowd, craning my neck to see around everyone. I caught a glimpse of Rocco and turned my face, not ready to face him yet.

“Sweetheart.”

The voice came from behind me, and my breath caught in my throat. I turned around to see my father beaming down at me, looking as proud as I knew he was. I practically leapt into his arms, throwing my own around his neck.

“I’m so proud of you, honey,” he said, his voice soothing as I buried my face in his chest. “I love you so much.”

“I’m so happy you’re still here.” I sniffled, trying to bite back the tears springing to my eyes.

“I know. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.”

“Did you see our date?” I pulled him aside, out of the crowd of people, and we moved to a quieter place to chat about my date with Bobby, and everything else that he’d seen on the show, along with what my feelings and hopes for the future were.

“Josie!”

I looked up to find Bobby waving me over, and I held up a finger to indicate I’d be right there.

“Do you want to meet everyone else?” I asked my dad.

He looked down at his watch and grimaced. “Sorry, hun, but I think I should be going.”

“What?”

He gave me an apologetic smile. “I stayed as long as I could, but I’m needed back at home. I’ve got a red-eye to catch.”

I was disappointed, but I understood. I walked him back to the front of the villa where the production team had a car waiting for him, and gave him another hug.

“Don’t forget, I want you to bring Bobby to visit me soon.”

“I will,” I promised. We said our final goodbyes, and then he was gone.

As I re-entered the villa, I was met with a tall, blonde, hulking figure.

“There she is!” the man said with a grin. “My favourite!”

“Magnus!” I smiled, and before I knew it, he was kissing both my cheeks and giving me a big hug.

“Where’s that boy of yours?” he asked, a sparkle in his eyes. “Dump him already?”

I laughed. “Of course not. I was just going to look for him.”

“Ah, too bad. But maybe you’re looking for him to break the bad news, eh?”

I shook my head at him and chuckled. “Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not letting him go.”

Magnus shrugged. “Well, if you change your mind, I’ll be in the beach hut. Seems like a good place for a little rendezvous now that the cameras have stopped, no?” He winked, and I laughed in response.

“So, you’re just gonna spend the rest of the party sitting by yourself in the beach hut waiting for me? Sounds lonely and boring.”

“When you put it that way,” he slid his arm over my shoulders, “let’s go back outside and find that lucky little boy of yours, hm?”

I snorted but let him lead me through the villa and back into the yard. I quickly spotted Bobby and started heading that direction.

Bobby’s eyebrows raised as he saw us approach, Magnus’s arm still around my shoulders. I wound my arms around Bobby’s neck as I raised onto my tiptoes to kiss him, and the arm slid away.

“Where’ve you been?” Bobby’s voice cracked slightly.

“I was saying goodbye to my dad, and then I found this stray puppy wandering around the villa.”

Bobby chuckled as he looked over my shoulder at Magnus. “And you brought him to me?”

“He followed me.”

“I can hear you guys, you know,” Magnus butted in. He offered his hand to Bobby. “Congrats on second place, though, mate.”

“Thanks,” Bobby said as he shook the offered hand. “It’s, uh, good to see you again.”

“Isn’t it?” The Swede winked. “I thought you might be happy to see me.”

“Um, right.” Bobby cleared his throat and looked at me with wide eyes. “Shall we mingle with the others, lass?”

“Sure,” I said as I linked my arm with his. I turned to smile at Magnus. “It was nice seeing you again.”

He blew us a kiss before turning and heading to the bar.

Bobby watched him go. “He’s an interesting one, isn’t he?”

“I thought you weren’t the jealous type.”

“I’m not.”

“Mmhmm?”

He sighed. “Well, can you blame me? The dude’s, like, a god from Olympus, and he looks at you like—like—”

I raised an eyebrow. “Like what?”

“I dunno, like Gary looks at his nan’s roast dinner!”

I burst into laughter. “So, you’re saying he wants to eat me?” I asked with a smirk.

“He probably does!”

I leaned a little closer. “I’m a one-man woman, Bobby,” I whispered huskily. “The only person I want eating me right now is you.”

His eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened. “I um, uh…”

“What do you say? The mingling can wait.”

He slid his hand into mine and gripped it tightly. “Where?” he breathed.

“Anywhere.”

Bobby quickly started moving towards the villa, pulling me behind him. We entered the bedroom, finding it occupied by a group of people we didn’t know. We moved through the room and crossed the hall to the lounge, but Priya and Arjun were there with their families.

He growled and pulled me towards the staircase, and we quickly ascended to the hall. He turned towards the beach hut, and I giggled at the irony.

It was unlocked, and we shuffled inside. As soon as the door closed behind us, he pushed me up against it and crushed his lips over mine passionately, evoking a soft gasp out of me. I threaded my fingers into his dreads, holding him as close as possible as his tongue slid between my parted lips and fire flared up deep inside me. His hands found my hips and slid further over my curves as he pressed his body against mine, his arousal evident as he ground into me.

Bobby grabbed a fistful of my dress and lifted it over my hips, then broke the kiss as his lips began to travel south, trailing along my neck, making my skin flush everywhere his mouth touched. He nipped at the skin with his teeth, then ran his tongue over the spot to chase away the sting. My head tilted back, exposing my throat, and I moaned softly at the feel of his lips and hands on me, his touch sending a shiver up my spine.

He continued his way downward until his head was between my legs. He looked up at me, his eyes dark and wide with lust, and licked his lips. “Ready?”

I merely pushed my hips forward in response, and he chuckled, his breath ghosting upon my skin and making me ache for him.

“Please, Bobby.” I barely recognized my own begging whisper, the only sound I was capable of at that moment.

He hooked two fingers into the waistband of my thong and rolled it down over my thighs until it fell to the floor and I kicked it off. He lifted one of my legs over his shoulder and began pressing light little kisses to the inner thigh, slowly, _excruciatingly_ slowly working his way upwards. I squirmed, rolling my hips to try to get him where I wanted him, but he placed a hand below my belly and held me firm against the wall.

“Bobby…”

He reached the apex of my thigh and sucked the skin into his mouth, making me gasp. I felt him smile before he lowered my leg onto the floor and reached for the other.

“Babe, please… stop teasing or they’ll come looking—ohhh.” My voice broke with a long breathy moan when his tongue flicked against my clit as he finally moved where I wanted him.

My eyes closed and my fingers curled in his locs, pushing him closer. Every stroke of his tongue had purpose as it ran along my slit and circled around me, alternating between light strokes and harder, deliberate ones. His fingers dug into the back of my thighs as he buried his face into me, my back arching in response, my hands trying to pull him closer even though there was no space left between us.

“Fuck, Bobby—”

I barely even registered his hand leaving my thigh until he was sliding two fingers into me and my walls were clenching around them. The small room was filled with the sounds of my whimpers and the low hums from Bobby’s lips as he pleasured me the way he knew best.

He slowly pumped his fingers inside me as he drew my clit into his mouth, and I bucked against him with a loud, desperate moan.

“Please, god, just—fuck!”

His fingers curled within me and I came undone, my body quivering against him as he worked me through my orgasm, guiding me back to him. When I came down and lowered my leg off his shoulder, he grabbed my hips, keeping my back against the wall as he stood and pressed his body into mine. He kissed me, and I swirled my tongue in his mouth, tasting myself on his tongue.

“Jesus, Bobby.”

He smiled against my lips before kissing them again. “Satisfied?”

“Not yet.”

His eyes widened as I pushed my hands against his chest, and he stumbled backwards. The backs of his knees hit the large chair in the centre of the beach hut, and I smirked as I slowly walked towards him.

Bobby swallowed as I reached him and began unbuttoning his shirt, my fingers grazing his hot skin as my hands moved further down his body. He quickly pulled the shirt out of the waistband of his trousers, then worked on unbuckling his belt. The last button undone, I pushed his shirt off his shoulders, and he pulled it off the rest of the way. I stepped back and lifted my dress over my head, letting it join his shirt on the floor. His trousers and boxers soon followed, but not before he grabbed a condom from his back pocket and rolled it on. I pushed him onto the chair, and he settled into the cushions as I moved to straddle him.

“The cameras are off, right?” he asked hoarsely as his eyes roved over my body.

“Who cares?” I chuckled as I placed my hands on his shoulders and ran them along his chest. “That didn’t stop us in the hideaway.”

“I know, but this feels… different, somehow.”

“More… naughty?” I smirked, raising an eyebrow. My hands kept moving downwards, over his abdomen and tracing along the distinct V that I loved so much, his muscles twitching under my tormentingly light touches.

His breath hitched as my hand hovered teasingly just above him. “Please,” he whined.

I grinned, then looked over my shoulder. “No red light. No cameras. We’re good, babe.”

He grabbed my hips and pulled me towards him, taking one of my nipples into his mouth as his hands slid further back to cup my behind. I moaned softly as his teeth dragged across my skin, my spine curving as I leaned into him. His hands caressed my soft flesh, and then he smacked my ass. He smiled against my breast as my body jerked towards him and I clutched his shoulders, my fingernails digging into his skin as an unexpected thrill of pleasure jolted through me.

“Fuck, Bobby, where did that come from?”

“You like?”

He moved his mouth to my other breast, his tongue circling my nipple, and even without seeing the look on his face I could tell how pleased with himself he was.

“I dunno, you might have to do it again,” I teased, already knowing that my answer was _yes_.

He did, harder this time, his hand landing against my skin with a _slap_ as I whimpered, grinding roughly against him, unable to hold back. His tongue trailed upwards over my chest, neck, and jaw until his lips were by my ear.

“Verdict?” he whispered.

I responded by reaching down between our bodies and wrapping my fingers around his length. I pumped him slowly before lining him up against my entrance and sinking down onto him, letting him fill me completely. He groaned, his hands tightly gripping my thighs, and I leaned down to kiss him.

“I think that answers your question,” I murmured with a raspy voice, and began to move.

I lifted myself up and down his hard length, curling one of my hands around the back of his neck while the other slid around his waist. Bobby’s mouth found one of my breasts again, and I moaned, my back arching as he brought a hand up to pinch the other, kneading the soft flesh with his fingers. He hummed against my skin, the vibration sending a wave of pleasure through me. My walls clenched around him and I increased my pace, my fingernails digging into his back as I got closer to reaching climax with every movement of my hips, every sound of skin against skin, every moan that escaped my lips.

His hips bucked into me as much as he was able, and my body started tensing around him. I grabbed his wrist and moved his hand down between us, and he eagerly pressed his thumb on my clit before circling it slowly. Spots of light burst in my vision as I rolled my hips into him at the same time his own thrust upwards, and within moments my body was trembling and quaking as he sent me over the edge. His hands moved to my waist and he took over my movements, sliding me along his pulsing cock as he sought his own release.

With a low grunt and a final jerk of his hips he came, and I collapsed into his arms as we both breathed heavily, our chests rising and falling. His hands ran up and down my back, and I became aware of the sweet words of comfort he was mumbling, making me realize how much I had grown to love these quiet moments with him when we were both coming down from our highs. I placed my hands on either side of his face, nuzzling his nose with mine before kissing him gently. A low moan escaped his throat, and for a moment I wished we could just stay in this room forever, just the two of us.

Bobby broke the kiss and looked up at me with a crooked smile. “You feel so good, you know that?”

I returned his smile with one of my own and tenderly brushed my thumb against his lips. “So do you. Amazing, really.”

His cock twitched inside me and I raised my eyebrows slightly, smirking as I clenched around him. He sucked in a sharp breath.

“We, uh…” he said, “we should probably go back outside.”

I sighed, disappointed but knowing he was right. I slid off him, lowering my feet to the floor so he could get up. I bent over to pick up my dress and let out a sharp yelp when he spanked me.

“Bobby!”

“What?” He grinned. “I thought you liked that.”

“And I thought _you_ said we should go back outside.” I threw a challenging look at him.

He bit his lower lip, his eyes looking me up and down lustfully, and I _tsked_ as I shook my head. I threw the dress over my head, ignoring his disappointed look as I went in search of my panties.

After getting dressed and taking a detour to the bathroom to ensure we looked presentable, we returned to the party on the lawn. Chelsea noticed us and waved her arms, indicating for us to join a group standing by the pool.

“Do you want a drink?” Bobby asked, nodding towards the bar. “Why don’t I grab you something while you talk to your adoring fans?”

“That would be amazing, thank you.”

“Any requests?”

“Surprise me,” I responded with a smile, and he wiggled his eyebrows before jogging towards the bar.

I began heading in the direction of the pool but was interrupted by someone calling my name, and I turned my head to see Lucas casually coming towards me from the daybeds, his hands in his pockets.

“Hi, Lucas.”

When he reached me, he pulled me into a brief hug. “What do you say to someone who finishes second in a thing like this? Congratulations, or I’m sorry you lost?”

I laughed as I pulled away. “Either one works; I wasn’t expecting to win.”

“Well, then, congratulations. You should be proud of making it so far.”

“Thanks, I am.”

We chatted briefly about the events of the few days since he and Shannon had been dumped, and then he turned the conversation towards Bobby and me.

“Are you two good, then?”

I raised my eyebrows slightly. “Yeah, we’re good.”

Lucas nodded slowly. “So, you’re gonna make a go of it with him?”

I smiled. “Yeah, I am. I think the last few days have been a good chance for me to get my head sorted, and I know that Bobby’s the person I want to be with right now. I’m going to give it my best shot.”

“Right, okay then.” A muscle in his jaw clenched as he looked over my shoulder, presumably at Bobby. His lips twisted into a smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Well, I wish you all the best.”

“Thanks, Lucas. I appreciate it.”

I watched his retreating figure as he returned to the daybeds, and something struck me.

_I don’t feel anything._

None of that emotional turmoil that had made his return to the villa so confusing. None of the sexual tension, none of the pull towards him, none of the questions about what could have been if I’d chosen him. It was all gone. As if the night he’d been dumped for the second time, he had taken those feelings with him.

There was nothing left. Nothing to stand between Bobby and me.

“One Bobbyfish for the lovely Josie.” Bobby’s voice broke into my thoughts, and I turned to see him holding out a glass with his signature creation.

I accepted it with a smile, and his hand moved to rest on the small of my back as we continued across the lawn to join the group of islanders there.

We mingled together for some time, chatting with some of the former islanders. Bobby introduced me to Emily and Siobhan from Casa Amor, whom I recognized from the postcards that had been sent to us. I talked with Graham and Jo, who were now seeing each other exclusively, and then with Shannon and Lottie.

Eventually I excused myself, having chatted with everyone I wished to talk to. Bobby was laughing at something Gary was saying, so I decided to take a moment to myself, and drifted towards the pool. I kicked off my shoes and sat down at the pool’s edge, dangling my legs in the water.

I looked over at the crowd of people still mingling, drinking, and dancing. Most of the family members and others who had been invited to be in the live audience had departed, leaving just the islanders to party and celebrate the end of the show.

A month. I’d only known these people a month, or less in some cases, but it felt like so much longer. Time really did seem to move differently in the villa, and we were around each other 24/7. How many real-life days was one villa day equal to? If one date on the outside lasted a few hours, then spending an entire day together was like multiple consecutive dates in one day. Multiply that by 30 days…

I’d been with Bobby, what, a week? Less? Yet it felt like we'd already gone through months' worth of dating. And our friendship had been strong even before that. I may not have seen him in his natural environment yet, but I knew who he was at his core. And in such a short time he’d gotten to know me better than anyone else had ever bothered to.

I didn’t even notice him coming my way until he was lowering himself to the ground beside me.

“Hey,” he said, “mind if I join you?”

“Not at all.”

He pulled off his socks and shoes and rolled his trousers up to his knees, then slid his legs into the water. He shuffled closer to me and took my hand, threading his fingers through mine.

“How are you finding the party?” he asked.

I shrugged. “It’s nice, but I’m ready to be out of here. I’ve seen enough of these people to last me a lifetime.”

He laughed. “I hope not, because we’re gonna see them next week at the reunion show.”

“Yeah, I guess. It’s gonna be weird seeing them outside the villa.”

He hummed as he stroked his thumb on my hand in small circles. “It’s gonna be weird going back to regular life. We’re different now, aren’t we? This whole thing,” he waved his hand, gesturing around the villa, “has changed life for everyone.”

I stared into the water, watching the reflections of the villa’s fairy lights glimmer across the surface as I thought about Bobby’s words. Where did we go from here? Him, back to Glasgow, me, back to London? How often would we get to see each other? Would we drift apart as real life got in the way?

I didn’t want that to happen. I knew that our lives were going to be vastly different after this experience, and we’d have to face a lot of challenges. But Bobby was worth holding onto.

“Yeah, it has,” I replied in a quiet voice. Life had changed, and there was something else I wanted to change. “Bobby?”

“Mmhmm?”

“Do you… would you be my boyfriend?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 9.5 months. That’s how long it’s been since I first started writing chapter 1, and I started planning at least a couple weeks prior to that. Never in a million years did I expect such an incredible response to this fic, and I’m so grateful for everyone that’s taken the time to read it. Every hit, kudos, and comment has been a major encouragement to me to keep going, and I appreciate each and every one of you who have followed along.
> 
> Of course, I haven’t done it alone, and there are a ton of people who, in big ways or small, have lent a hand along the way and helped make this fic what it is, and those people deserve some recognition as well. I could wait until after the epilogue, but why not now?  
> • Suchi (sp3194) – Thank you so much for beta reading the first 39 chapters! I can’t even imagine the countless hours and effort you poured into helping make each chapter the best it could be. Every little comment you made meant so much to me, and every correction/suggestion challenged me to be a better writer. This fic really wouldn’t be what it is today without your help!  
> • Kat (Redlightsdistrict) – You are a queen and I owe so, so much to you for all the smut help. Thank you so much for taking the time to edit my scenes, I’m so grateful and feel like I’ve learned so much from you!  
> • Kim (Finality2020) – The secrets queen! Thank you so much for all the help with the challenges and coming up with secrets/character backstories/etc. I apologize for the lack of throuples.  
> • Lauren (daisybarks) – Thank you so much for taking over beta duties and just being generally super supportive and helpful!  
> • Everyone on the LITGFF Writers’ Discord server – whether it’s just been Britpicking, general word help, or floating ideas around, you guys have been so amazing and supportive, and I love each and every one of you. I would say I’m sorry for teasing you all about Josie and Lucas, but I’m actually not. :levi_ope:  
> • Everybody who has ever commented or left kudos – I said it earlier, but I’ll say it again. You’ve all encouraged me and challenged me, and nothing excites me more than seeing AO3 emails in my inbox. I’m so thankful for each and every one of you who has enjoyed my fic enough to tell me about it.  
> • Everybody who has read this all the way through, even if you haven’t commented or left kudos – there are so many of you and it means the world to me that you took the time to read this each week! I appreciate you reading and enjoying my work, and I honestly don’t know if I could have found the motivation to continue if it weren’t for all of you. Thank you!!
> 
> As mentioned previously, I have more stuff coming, so subscribe or follow me on tumblr @longbobmckenzie if you don’t want to miss anything!
> 
> Much love, Sarah 💕


	45. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp... this is it. The last official chapter of W&S. Thanks again to everyone for sticking along for the ride, and to those who helped make it happen!
> 
> I'm also super excited to show you the artwork I commissioned for Josie and Bobby! The wonderful and talented u/cheftwo on reddit and @smaiihands on tumblr created this beautiful image of the rain scene from Chapter 31, and I'm absolutely in love! 😍

* * *

I clutched my phone in my hand and stared at it, willing it to light up. Waiting for Bobby’s name to flash across the screen.

It had been three weeks since we left the villa together. Three weeks since I asked him to be my boyfriend. Three weeks since he said yes.

_“Really?” he asked. “Are you sure?”_

**_Yes_ ** _._

_“I’m sure,” I said, turning to look him in the eye. “For once in my life, I’m sure.”_

_The next moment, his lips were on mine, his arms were around me, and he was kissing me with a need that belied his response._

_“Is that a yes?” I asked breathlessly when we parted for air. His forehead rested against mine, and I could feel his breath against my skin as he chuckled softly._

_“Fuck right, that’s a yes.”_

That first week outside the villa had gone by in a blur. We were given our regular phones back, briefed on what the public had been saying about us (lots of good, lots of bad; plenty of funny memes), offered therapy sessions (I accepted – goodness knows I needed it), and sent on our merry ways. Sayonara, _Love Island_.

My social media accounts had blown up, and for some reason I was in high demand for sponsorships and public appearances. I found an agent (I had lots of offers), quit my job (I don’t think they were too upset, given what I’d been up to), and moved back into the London flat that I shared with a roommate I didn’t even like that much.

Bobby stayed with me for those first few days until the reunion show, which took place one week after the finale. The show was just a final gathering of all the Love Island contestants, going through the highlights again, and being interviewed by the same host that ran the show during the live finale. The rest of our days were packed with TV and radio interviews, public appearances, and meetings with companies looking to sponsor us. It was so busy that we hardly got to take any time to ourselves, and each night we fell into bed exhausted, only to get up early to do it all again the following day.

And then the first week was over, and Bobby headed back to Glasgow to visit his family and put his own affairs in order. He wanted me to come with him (to show off his girlfriend, he said), but my agent refused to let me cancel all the appearances he had already lined up for me. Something about it being a bad look, even if it was for a good reason.

And so, I threw myself into whatever I was asked to do. Plastering a fake smile onto my face as I went from interview to interview, meeting to meeting. I landed a haircare sponsorship right away, and my agent was in talks with some of the fast fashion companies to get me my own clothing line. Woohoo.

Now, two weeks since Bobby had left for Glasgow, I was pacing around my living room waiting for him to call, just like he did every night.

The phone lit up, illuminating the background photo of me and Bobby lying on the daybeds together making silly faces at the camera. It was from the early days in the villa, when we had been coupled up the first time. It was still one of my favourites.

I swiped my thumb across the screen and brought the phone to my ear.

“Hello?” The word came out almost breathlessly.

“Hey, sunshine.” Bobby’s voice sounded casual, but I knew there was so much feeling behind those words. “How was your day?”

God, I missed him. He had gained a huge following in Scotland and was just as busy there as I had been in London. Not to mention he had a large extended family, so he was always going here, there, and everywhere, visiting relatives in between all his interviews. I sank onto the floor and leaned my back against the couch as we talked, closing my eyes as I listened to his voice.

The long distance was as hard as I had expected, maybe even harder. It helped that we were both busy, but after four weeks of being together almost 24/7, it was strange being so far apart. It made me feel empty, like something was missing.

“Guess what,” he said, his voice taking on a teasing tone.

“What?”

“I said guess!”

“Bobby…” It was late, and I had been busy all day, running around London on a packed schedule. I was exhausted, and in no mood to play games.

“Fiiine, I’ll tell you; but only ‘cause you’re cute. I’m coming to London.”

“ _What?_ ” I sat up straight, suddenly much more awake. “When?”

“In a couple days. I’ve got some stuff lined up there.”

“Are you driving or flying? Do you need me to meet you at the airport?”

“Flying, and don’t worry about it. My agent’s arranging everything.”

“You’re staying with me, right?”

There was a pause on the line. “I didn’t want to presume…”

“Bobby,” I sighed. “You’re staying with me.”

On the other end of the line, he chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”

“I miss you,” I said.

“I miss you, too.”

We talked a little longer, until he heard me yawning and said he should let me go. I hung up and dragged myself to bed, thinking about him. I wrapped myself up in my duvet, wishing it were his arms, but secure in the knowledge I would be seeing him again soon.

*********

A few days later, I opened the door to the flat to see Bobby beaming on the other side, holding a bouquet of flowers. I squealed and leapt into his arms, smothering him with kisses as he held me close, breathing in my scent.

“Lass,” he said in an amused tone as I clung to him, “can I come in?”

I stepped back and dragged him into the flat, closing the door behind him, then launched myself at him again. I knew I had been missing him, but I had forgotten just how much I missed his scent, his taste, the feeling of his arms around me until that moment.

“Bedroom. Now,” I said between kisses, and he smiled against my lips, a low chuckle vibrating from deep within his chest.

“What about the flowers?” he asked, holding them up. It was a gorgeous bouquet of sunflowers and baby’s breath, and the brightness of it reminded me of the Mallorcan sun.

“They’re beautiful, Bobby, thank you!” I leaned up to kiss him on the cheek as I took them from him. “I’ll put them in water, you go get naked.”

He laughed and kissed me deeply one more time before I gave him a smack on the bum, and he scurried off to the bedroom with a wink. I quickly found a suitable vase and put the bouquet in, then went to join him.

A few orgasms later, we were lying naked under the sheets with the television turned low. I had just ordered food to the flat and was contentedly laying against Bobby’s chest as we discussed our day.

“They want me to do _Dancing on Ice_ ,” I said, my fingers tracing circles on his bare chest.

“That’s a pretty big deal, right?” he asked.

“I think so. I’ve never actually watched it, but they always try to get Love Island contestants on.”

“Can you skate?”

I raised my eyebrows and tilted my head up to look at him. “Excuse me?”

The corner of his lips turned up into a lopsided smile. “Well, not everyone can.”

“Need I remind you I grew up in Canada? I could skate almost before I could walk.”

“Well, then, you should do it.”

“Maybe.” I looked up at him again. “Can _you_ skate?”

“I can roller skate. Same thing, right?”

I sat up straight as I twisted my body towards him, giving him an incredulous stare. “No, they are _not_ the same thing!”

“I guess you’ll just have to take me ice skating sometime, then.” He reached out and pulled me back towards him. “And I’ll show you how my awesome roller skating skills translate to the ice.”

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”

*********

We got to spend plenty of time together over the next few days, as now that he was back in town, we were booked to do more interviews and appearances together. Priya was hosting a launch party for one of her many sponsorships, and she was delighted that we’d both be able to attend.

“What are you wearing tonight?” he asked as he sat down on my bed while I rummaged through my cupboard.

“I haven’t decided,” I replied absentmindedly as I picked out a couple dresses. I held them up for him to see. “What do you think?”

He wrinkled his nose and pushed himself off the bed, coming towards me. His hand automatically found the small of my back as he sorted through the dresses I had hanging up. It was such a small gesture, but it was one so familiar that I was struck by how fast our relationship had progressed, despite my initial reluctance and struggles. I felt more comfortable with him after just a few short weeks of knowing him than I ever had with anyone else.

“How about this one?” he asked, pulling out a lacy navy blue minidress that I’d received from one of the fashion companies trying to sign me. I hadn’t even tried it on yet, nor given it a second glance.

“I’ll try it on.”

He held it out to me, and I accepted it, suddenly feeling shy as he gazed at me expectantly. We’d spent so much time naked together lately that he knew every inch of my body intimately, yet for some reason I didn’t want to try on a dress in front of him. He had picked it out, and for some reason I wanted the reveal to be a surprise.

“Out,” I said, shooing him away.

“What?” he pouted.

“I just… I dunno, I feel like it’ll be more special if you don’t see it on me until tonight.”

He raised an eyebrow. “It’s not a wedding dress, babe.”

“I know, I just—humour me, alright?”

“Fine.” He held up his hands in defeat and backed out of the room, and I closed the door behind him.

I changed into the dress and looked at myself in the mirror. The dress fit perfectly, hugging my curves and showing off sections of skin through sheer panels in the front and on the sides.

I smiled at my reflection, pleased with how I looked and knowing that Bobby would be proud of having picked it out. The last few days had been a whirlwind with him, but I had loved having him around again. It was different than it had been in the villa, and we were learning things about each other that we either hadn’t noticed or hadn’t talked about previously, but it felt right. Despite our busy schedules and newfound celebrity status, being able to come home to him seemed to ground me in a way that I hadn’t expected.

A knock sounded on the door, bringing me out of my reverie. “Can I come in yet?”

“Not yet!” I scrambled to take the dress off and laid it out on the bed before pulling my clothes back on. “Okay!”

The doorknob turned and he poked his head in. “Well?”

I smiled. “You’re gonna love it.”

“Oh yeah?” he smirked. “Will I love it on you, or will I love taking it off you?”

I shook my head and gave him a playful shove as I walked past him out into the living area.

“Ow!”

He followed me and I turned to wrap my arms around his neck, leaning up to kiss him as his own circled my waist.

“Both,” I replied with a wink.

*********

He did love the dress, and he made sure to rub in the fact that he had been the one to choose it as we travelled in the back of a sleek black sedan on our way to the venue. When we reached our destination, he held open my car door and helped me out as cameras flashed, courtesy of paparazzi covering the promotional event.

As we stepped inside, he nuzzled his nose in my hair, his hand on the small of my back, and whispered, “You look gorgeous tonight.”

I turned to smile back at him, admiring the way he looked in his light grey suit. “So do you.”

“Josie! Bobby!”

“Chelsea!”

The bubbly blonde threw her arms around both of us before dragging us to the bar as she chattered excitedly, regaling us with tales of all the things everybody had been up to.

“Did you hear that Lottie’s getting a makeup line? Oh, and Shannon’s been invited to some huge poker tournament!”

“So I hear,” I responded with a smile. We reached the bar and Bobby placed our orders.

“But of course you knew all that!”

We collected our drinks and Chelsea flitted away to talk to Marisol and Elisa, whom she spied walking through the door, leaving Bobby and I on our own.

“At least some things never change,” Bobby said with a grin as he lifted his scotch to his lips.

I raised an eyebrow. “What does that mean?”

He shrugged. “Oh, you know. Things are just different since we left the villa, you know? A lot of things. It’s just nice to see that there are still some things you can trust to stay the same.”

I eyed him curiously. “Nothing specific I need to worry about?”

“Of course not.” He gave me a reassuring smile. “Shall we mingle?”

“Sure,” I responded. “I thought I spotted Lottie on the other side of the room.”

We headed over to join the other islanders, catching up with those we hadn’t seen since the reunion. Bobby’s words about change floated about in my head, even though I tried to push them away. I believed him when he said I had nothing to worry about, but there was still something in his expression that made me think there was more to what he was saying.

I looked around for Priya, but as the star of the show tonight she was in high demand, constantly flitting around between groups of people. Finally, a few hours into the evening, she came up to me and pulled me aside to a quiet corner.

“So,” she asked as we sat down on a couch, “how is it having Bobby in town?”

My eyes were automatically drawn back across the room to where Bobby was laughing with a few of the other guys, and my mouth turned up into a smile.

“It’s been great,” I said. “I’m not sure my flatmate is too happy about it, but I am.”

“Ooh, juicy,” Priya smirked, leaning forward in her seat. “Lots of late-night noises?”

I laughed. “Late night… early morning… pretty much any time we’re both home. Let’s just say my roommate’s been spending a _lot_ of time at her boyfriend’s place the last few days.”

“Well, good. I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks. And what about you and Arjun? All settled into married life?”

She threw her head back and laughed. “Oh come on, we’ve only been official a day longer than you.”

“Yeah, but you’ve been living together this whole time, at least. Arjun doesn’t live in a whole other country.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Is that still bothering you?”

I sighed as I looked over at Bobby again. “I just—I dunno, he’s already become such a huge part of my life. Two weeks apart was bad enough, but what happens when that becomes two months?”

“It’s not that far, you can go back and forth more often.”

“For a couple days at a time, on top of our already-busy schedules? I’m worried it won’t be enough.”

“For him or you?”

“I don’t know,” I said quietly. “We’ve only been together a short time, but—I’ve never felt like this before. Like I’ve finally found someone worth holding onto and I’m afraid that something’s gonna screw things up.”

Priya smiled softly and placed her hand over mine. “If you think he’s worth holding onto, then you’ll find a way. He waited for you for all that time, I don’t think he’s going to give up that easily.”

I turned my hand over to clasp hers and squeezed it gratefully. “Thanks, Pri. I think I just need to get out of my own head for a bit.”

“I think I can help with that.” She grinned as she stood and tugged my hand, pulling me to my feet. “There’s an open bar over there just waiting for us. Ready to have some fun?”

“You, me, and tequila? Sounds like a plan!”

*********

“Morning, sleepyhead.”

My eyes blinked open to see Bobby coming into the bedroom carrying a breakfast tray, and I groaned.

“Why are you dressed?” I asked groggily, taking in his button-down shirt and trousers.

He chuckled softly. “Well, I wasn’t sure if Lauren was around or not, and I didn’t exactly care to be caught naked in the kitchen if she was.”

“Take it off,” I said, reaching out and tucking my fingers into his waistband to pull him towards me.

He wrapped his fingers around mine and moved my hand away, then sat on the edge of the bed.

“I’d love to, but I don’t have time,” he replied. “I have a meeting with my agent.”

“This early in the morning?”

“It’s afternoon,” he said, smirking. “But I do have a few minutes to sit and watch you eat.”

“Lovely,” I grumbled.

I sat up and propped up my pillows so I could lean against the headboard, clutching the sheet to my chest. Bobby moved to the other side and slid back under the covers, sitting next to me with an arm wrapped around my waist as I grabbed the plate of food he had prepared.

“Did you have a good night last night?” he asked.

“Yeah, it was fun. It was good to see some people again, and Priya and I had a good conversation.”

“Good.” He nuzzled his nose against my shoulder and pressed a kiss to the bare skin. “I had fun, too.”

“I could tell,” I responded with a smile as I glanced at him. “You and Gary were putting on quite the show.”

“What can I say?” He grinned. “We were born entertainers.”

“Mm.”

He sat with me for a few more minutes until his Uber was almost there, then he tapped my nose with his finger.

“Boop. Gotta run.” He rolled out of the bed and circled back around to my side.

“Have fun!”

He winked as he leaned over and kissed me. “I always do.”

I smiled as I watched him walk to the door, turn around, and wave at me one more time. When he closed the door behind him, I dropped my head back against the headboard, wondering what I had done to be blessed with his affections. I knew I wasn’t in love with him yet; I wasn’t ready for that, and I wasn’t sure exactly where his head – or heart – was at, but the more time I spent with him in ‘the real world,’ the more I wanted to keep working at what we were building together.

I finished eating, sighing as I pulled back the covers and got up to start my day. Luckily, I didn’t have any appearances or meetings scheduled, as my agent had agreed that it would be best not to plan anything the day after Priya’s party. For one thing, her launch was big news and would be dominating the headlines; second, he probably assumed (correctly) that I wouldn’t be in an appropriate state to be talking with the press.

I did have a few errands to run, though, so I did what I could to look presentable – the paparazzi were always hanging about – and got ready to leave.

As I left my bedroom, the front door opened and my roommate walked inside, giving me a mumbled greeting and an up-nod when she noticed me.

“Lauren! You’re home,” I stated. “I didn’t realize you were out.”

“Yeah, well,” she rolled her eyes as she set her bag down and kicked off her shoes, “you don’t realize a lot of things these days.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I frowned.

She shrugged. “Nothing, really. Just that I feel like I’m a stranger in my own home lately.”

“I’m barely even here.”

“Oh, right, of course! You’re ‘Miss Famous’ now.” She pushed past me towards the kitchen and opened up the fridge, perusing its contents.

“What the fuck? You encouraged me to go on the show.”

“My mistake. Now I can’t even leave my house without seeing paparazzi all over the place; nor can I stay at home, because you and Bobby keep going at it like rabbits.” She grabbed a beer from the fridge and opened it, then took a large swig of it while giving me a pointed look.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize—”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, setting the can on the counter and wiping her mouth. “I’m moving out.”

“What?”

“Lease is up in a couple months, and I figured I may as well move in with Jake. I’m there all the time anyway.”

“Oh.” The single word was all that came out of my lips, as I wasn’t sure what else to say. We had never really been friends to begin with; we had just moved in together out of convenience, and each did our own thing. And now that I had sponsorship money coming in, I could afford my own place.

“Yeah, didn’t think that’d be too much skin off your back,” she said in a snarky tone, before looking apologetic and sighing heavily. “It’s probably better this way, anyway.”

“Right. Okay, then… really, I’m sorry about—um, everything.”

“No worries.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t mind me, I’m just in a bit of a mood.”

“Alright, well… see you later, then.”

I quickly made my escape and left her to her drink, making a mental note to call Priya to see if she had any estate agent friends in the London area. If I was going to have my own place, I may as well find something I liked better than the flat we were in.

*********

When I came home, I was welcomed by the sight of a potted sunflower on the coffee table, and Bobby sprawled out on the couch with the TV remote in his hand, his eyes glued to the screen. He looked up when I closed the door behind me, and his face brightened with a smile.

“Babe!” He got up and came over, greeting me with a kiss. “I got you a sunflower plant.”

“I see that,” I said, smiling at him. “What’s the occasion?”

He grinned. “Does a man need an occasion to bring gifts for his girl?”

I raised an eyebrow. “No, but now I’m extra suspicious.”

He laughed and grabbed my hand, leading me to the couch. He dropped onto it and pulled me down onto his lap, his arms around my waist.

“I have some news.”

“Good or bad?”

“The best! I think. At least, I hope you’ll like it.”

His eyes were shining, and he could barely contain his grin, so I relaxed and wound my arms around his neck, leaning into him.

“Alright, tell me,” I said.

“I’m moving to London!”

“What?!” My stomach flipped with a mixture of excitement and confusion. “How? Why? When?”

“You missed ‘who’ and ‘where,’ lass,” he said with a wink. “Although I suppose half of the ‘where’ was already answered.”

 _Half of the ‘where’?_ _Oh_.

Of course, that meant Bobby would be looking for a place to live – just like me.

“As for the ‘why,’” he continued, “my agent and I have been discussing it, and we agree that it would make the most sense. The opportunities are better here, and it would make sense to capitalize on them while they’re still available. Plus, you’re here, which was obviously a big consideration.”

“Really?” I asked almost breathlessly as I brought my hands up to cup his face. “You’re doing it for me?”

His gaze softened as he squeezed his arms around me, tugging me closer. “Of course. I know the distance was a big issue for you, and I want to make this as easy for us as possible. You mean a lot to me, Josie. And besides, I did say during one of the challenges that I would.”

It was true, he had. I’d almost forgotten that compatibility challenge, or perhaps I’d pushed the memory aside on purpose – it had been the day of the final recoupling, while I’d been trying to sort out my feelings for Lucas after kissing him the previous day. Bobby and I had been coupled up at the time, and we hadn’t done all that well.

“But what about your family?”

“That’s the best part!” he grinned. “I’m keeping some of my commitments back home, so I’ll be travelling back and forth regularly. I’ll still see them about as often as I would if I were living there! I’ll just be here most of the time instead.”

It was perfect, and I showed my appreciation by closing the space between us and crushing my lips against his. My fingers slid between his dreads as he eagerly responded, deepening the kiss and brushing his tongue over mine as his hands travelled up my sides.

“Well?” he asked breathlessly when we broke apart, gazing up at me with his lopsided grin. “Was that good news?”

“Definitely.” I smiled down at him and traced the freckles on his cheek with my thumb.

He kissed me one more time, then shifted me off his lap and grabbed his phone from the table.

“I wanna start looking for a place as soon as possible,” he said as he tapped on the screen. “Do you think Priya will know anyone who can help?”

I couldn’t help but laugh, and Bobby raised an eyebrow as he looked up at me.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

“I had the exact same thought earlier today. About Priya.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Because as it turns out, I’m looking for a place too.”

“Wait, what?”

“Lauren’s moving in with Jake, and our lease is up soon, so I figured I’d find something new.”

“Oh! Well, then I guess we can look together. Maybe find a neighbourhood we like, find a couple places within walking distance.” He turned his attention back to his phone, pulling up a real estate website.

And then a crazy thought came to me. We both needed a place to live, and we would both be incredibly busy with work and travel, leaving us without a lot of spare time… why not move in together? In normal circumstances it would be a huge step in a relationship, but our circumstances weren’t normal, were they? We’d already spent a month living in the villa together, and that was almost 24/7 with very few opportunities to escape each other’s company.

We’d seen each other at our best and worst. Would living together really be any different than what we’d already gone through? Would it break us apart, or would it be the thing that kept us together?

“Bobby…”

“Yes, lass?” Bobby asked, his attention still on his screen.

“What if we, you know… found a place together?”

He turned to me with wide eyes. “Like, together, together? As in, move in together?”

“Um, yeah.” I lowered my eyes and started toying with the hem of my shirt, nervous at what his response would be, suddenly afraid he would say no.

“Are you sure?” His voice was soft, and he placed a hand over mine, stopping me from fidgeting. “It’s a big step. I don’t want to rush you into anything you’re not ready for.”

I chuckled and lifted my eyes to his, smiling shyly. “It would be practical, and—I think it would be good for us. For me. To know that I’d be coming home every day to you instead of an empty apartment.”

“So you just want a roommate, huh?” he asked, amusement in his tone.

My eyes widened. “No, I—”

“I’m kidding, lass.” He threaded his fingers between mine, gripping my hand tightly. “And I’d love nothing more than to live with you; but only if you’re really sure it’s what you want.”

And as I stared into his eyes and saw the mixture of hope and excitement in them, I knew that I felt the same. It was probably crazy, but somehow it just felt _right_.

“Yeah,” I breathed, my body relaxing from the tension I didn’t even realize I’d been holding. “I want to.”

His whole face lit up as he grinned and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against him. “Good. Let’s do this, then.”

*********

We called up Priya, and she was more than thrilled to set us up with an old friend of hers from school who worked in the London area. We still had time before my lease was up, but Bobby’s agent wanted him to move as soon as possible to take advantage of sponsorship offers. So, after a short trip back to Scotland to break the news to his family and make arrangements to start selling some of his things, he was back in town and we were looking at flats.

“I think you’ll like this one,” the estate agent said as she unlocked the front door of the fourth or fifth place we went to.

When we walked into the flat, there was a row of mirrored closets to the left with the kitchen to the right. The kitchen wasn’t huge, but it had enough space for at least a couple people to move around in comfortably, and a large island separating it from the living area.

Bobby stood in the centre of the kitchen, slowly turning and getting a feel for the space.

“What do you think?” I asked. “This is your domain.”

“I think I like it,” he said. “The fridge and stove are in easily accessible areas, and there’s lots of counter space. Island’s a good height.”

I smirked. “Is it?”

“Yeah, it’ll be perfect for kneading dou— _oh_.” He caught my expression and pulled his bottom lip between his teeth. “That too.”

The living area was open and spacious, with large windows and a sliding glass door opening onto a balcony. The master bedroom was large enough for a king-size bed (which I was insisting on, since Bobby was so fond of starfishing), and there was a spare bedroom for guests or extra storage.

“How do you feel?” the agent asked, looking between the two of us.

Bobby and I looked at each other, and I smiled and shrugged.

“I like it if you do,” I said.

He nodded and turned to the agent. “Can we think about it and get back to you?”

“Absolutely, but don’t take too long – this is a popular area, so it may not be available much longer.”

“Great, we’ll sleep on it and call you in the morning.”

*********

We called her back the next day and made the arrangements to sign the lease. Bobby would move in first, and I would be able to slowly move my stuff over from the old flat before the lease was up.

Since he had to go back to Glasgow to pack his belongings and sell his remaining furniture, he invited me to fly up with him and meet his family. Despite having already met his mother and sister, I was nervous, but I agreed, and was able to take a week off and join him.

It went smoother than I expected. His family welcomed me with open arms, their opinions of me apparently softened by the fact that Bobby and I had made things official, and they had seen how happy he was when he had been back to visit them the previous times. There were still a few reservations, as nobody wanted to see Bobby get hurt; otherwise, they were happy to forget the past and support us.

Bobby was thrilled to take me around his hometown and show me the sights, and we visited so many of his family members that by the end of the trip I couldn’t keep them straight. He also took me to the hospital kitchen to meet “the boys,” who were disappointed with his decision to move on, but supportive of their friend.

Finally, at the end of the week, we loaded up his car with everything he could fit and embarked on the 7-hour road trip back to London. It was long, but in his usual way Bobby made it fun, dancing and singing along to the radio while playing road games. It was a picture of what I could expect from a life with him, and it made the time fly by; before we knew it, we were pulling up in front of our new place.

“Home sweet home, lass!” Bobby said as he turned off the engine. “Ready?”

I took a deep breath and exhaled. I wasn’t the one moving in yet, but something about it just seemed so final. We were really doing this.

“Ready.” I smiled, and we opened our doors and exited the vehicle.

We took the lift up to our floor and entered the flat. Chelsea had offered to decorate it, and we had gladly accepted her help making the space our own. For all her wild ideas, it had come together better than I expected – it was sleek and modern, yet homey, with splashes of bright colour reminiscent of our time in the villa, and there was no shortage of decorative cushions on the couches.

On the counter sat a gift basket with a card propped up against it. I raised my eyebrows at Bobby and he shrugged, a curious look on his face.

I picked up the card and opened it.

‘Dear Bobby and Josie,’ it read, ‘Congrats on your new home together! Enjoy this little house-warming gift with love from all of us. Signed, Priya & Arjun and Chelsea & Gary.’

“That’s sweet,” Bobby said. “I wonder what it is?”

He untied the ribbon and lowered the wrapping to reveal two bottles: a Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey, and a Laphraoig Scotch.

I chuckled as I wrapped my arms around his waist. “Whiskey and scotch. I like it.”

“I think you mean ‘scotch and whiskey,’” he said.

“Nah.” I leaned up to press a kiss on his jaw. “Whiskey and scotch.”

He rolled his eyes but placed his hands on my hips and drew me closer, kissing me again.

*********

I officially moved in a month later. I had been spending most of my time there anyway, so all I had to do was bring a few last things over from the old place, and that was it. I sold what I could of my furniture and donated the rest.

Bobby and I celebrated with a glass each of the liquor we’d received from our friends as we cuddled together on the couch watching a cheesy romantic comedy. It was the perfect evening spent enjoying each other’s company, laughing, crying, and just _being_ together.

I was reminded of my first date with Lucas, the day he had come into the villa. He had asked me what kind of mental image I got when I thought about the person I wanted to end up with. I hadn’t really been sure how to respond, so I just said the first thing that came to mind – on my couch at home, hanging out. And now I was doing that very thing, my first official night in my new home with Bobby.

Our home.

It was surreal. A few months ago, I didn’t even know who he was. He had been a total stranger to me, yet we had been thrust into a situation where we were around each other 24/7. We had laughed, we had cried, we had argued, we had made up. Now we were here, making a home and a life together.

And although there were still some days and moments when I questioned what on earth I was doing rushing into things so fast, most of the time I was completely at peace with it. It just felt right.

“Ready for bed, lass?” Bobby asked as I yawned. I was cuddled into his side with my head laying on his shoulder.

“Always,” I replied. I shifted slightly and began leaving a trail of kisses up his neck as he shivered and let out a soft sigh.

“Oh? Aren’t you tired?”

“I’ll be tired tomorrow,” I said, smiling against his skin. “I don’t plan on getting much sleep tonight.”

There was a sharp intake of breath as I placed my hand below his waist, cupping him through his trousers.

“I like the sound of that,” he choked out.

I chuckled and brought my lips to his ear, lowering my voice to a sultry whisper. “Oh, I’ll be making _lots_ of sounds.”

“Fuck, Josie.”

“Exactly.”

*********

The following morning, I woke to a half-empty bed, and heard him rummaging around in the kitchen. I wrapped the sheet around me and tiptoed to the door, slowly opening it.

I wandered into the kitchen and burst out laughing.

He spun around to face me with a wide grin and spread out his arms. “You like my new apron?”

The apron was bright pink with the words ‘Easy Come, Easy Dough’ emblazoned on it in white letters.

“I like what’s underneath.”

He winked. “I was hoping you might.”

“I’m surprised it took you this long to cook breakfast naked.” I lifted myself up onto the counter to watch him work. I had always loved watching him in the kitchen, and knowing it was ours and I would get to do this almost every day made it even more special.

“Well, you see, I had to save it for a special occasion.”

“And what occasion would that be?” I teased.

He wiped his hands on a tea towel and came over to where I sat, pushing apart my knees so he could stand between them. He pulled me closer to the edge and wrapped his arms loosely around my hips.

“You. Me. This.”

I cupped his cheeks and nuzzled my nose against his before kissing him. “Well, I like it very much. And I hope I can expect to wake up to this sight a lot more often.”

He grinned and tugged me even closer. “I think I can make that happen,” he whispered.

Our lips met again in an unhurried, sensual kiss that had me melting into his touch. It wasn’t passionate, yet it was full of tender feelings as our lips moved together. When we drew apart, he looked up at me with a look in his eyes that spoke volumes – like he had all these emotions he was holding inside and was about to burst, no longer able to keep them in. I held my breath as my heart skipped a beat in anticipation.

“Josie,” he whispered breathlessly.

I wrapped my legs around him and waited for him to continue.

“I’m really glad we did this,” he said softly. “I feel like it’s made us solid.”

I smirked, unable to help myself and needing to lighten the mood. “It’s made you solid,” I said, pressing up against his obvious arousal.

He gave me a slight, strained smile before turning serious again. “Josie, I love you.”

There it was. Those words that I had once dreaded to hear from his lips, words that not long ago would have had me running for the hills. Words that I had been expecting to hear almost every time I caught him gazing at me.

I swallowed. “Bobby, I—”

He pressed a finger on my mouth, stopping me. “I didn’t say it to get a response from you, or for you to repeat it back to me. You don’t have to say anything. But I wanted you to know how I feel.”

I sighed in relief. I took his hand in mine and intertwined our fingers as I looked him steady in the eyes.

“Thank you. I’m not there yet… but I think—I think I might be well on my way.”

I was as close to being in love as I had ever been in my life. I felt like I should have been afraid… but I wasn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! Or is it? You may notice this work is now part of a series, which means this isn't the last we'll be seeing of Bobsie! It's mostly going to be very self-indulgent smut, but I'm also hoping to eventually write a Christmas oneshot (and who knows, maybe more down the line? no promises). So if you want to be notified of those, feel free to subscribe to the series!
> 
> Also, since the last update I've posted a couple more oneshots, so I figured I'd do a little extra self-promotion while you're here:
> 
> [saving the best for last](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29387385) \- a Bobby oneshot that I wrote in one afternoon. If you've ever wondered what Bobby gets up to when he's not coupled up with MC... wonder no more.
> 
> [under my skin](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29469474) \- a Bobby/Henrik oneshot written for the enemies-to-lovers prompt over at r/LITGFanFiction


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